Crystal Cerberus: A Self Insert
by Raining Moon Song
Summary: Tory is an abnormally mature thirteen-year-old with a weakness for sad stories. Upon meeting the dark hero of her favorite game, she realizes how much of a helpless child she really is. Past the battle with Omega
1. Holy Effin Crap

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Chapter One: Sea of Flames**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FF7, even though I wish I did.**

**A/N: Hi everyone, this is my first fan fiction being published on this site!! I'd like to thank you if you actually look at this. This is a self-insert, meaning ****real person going into game****. This is a result of my craving to play Dirge for the fourth time and then finally getting to. Aside from the part where I go into the game, the parts about my family actually happened.**

**Flames will not be tolerated…be nice. Reviews will be appreciated greatly, although I probably won't be able to update too often, but when I do, I should usually have a couple chapters. And please tell me what you think; as I post this I'll probably have a nervous breakdown. My sister ruined my confidence for me and my writing a few years ago, but I'll be happy to know what **_**you**_** think.**

Yo, I'm Victoria Carlton, I'm thirteen years old, and I have auburn hair, amber eyes. Please, read this even though I'm thirteen. It's important to me, I'm good at writing but I wanna get better.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

I glanced up at the loud clock, boredly awaiting the return of my mom and sister.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Where were they?

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

The store. They were getting some milk, which we needed for a happy Tory, and a candy bar for me. Because I had hurt myself (on accident!). No, I don't smash and scrape my left middle and index fingers in a door _just_ for chocolate! Don't get me wrong, I'd do just about anything short of mugging a nun for chocolate. But I don't like pain—I'm terrible with putting up with pain. Unlike a few years before.

I sighed, standing up from the couch to go into my sister's room, where the PS2 is. Dirge of Cerberus would keep me busy. In fact, the night before, I had spent five hours on the first six chapters of the game. It had been 3:19 when I finally stopped and got ready for bed.

I sat down on my sister's bed, bending down to push the open button. I removed the Okami disk, which my sister had been playing about twenty minutes before (if you don't know what that game is, once again, Google it, it's so worth it).

After replacing the Okami disk with Dirge of Cerberus, I pressed the power button. Okay, it turned on, working, working…and it went to the screen it does when there's no disk in it. I growled, giving it a moment to register…and still nothing! I angrily opened up the cover, and…

"Oh," I said as I immediately took notice of the problem: I had the disk in upside down. Flipping it over carefully, I closed the cover. "That's better." I smiled cheerfully, quickly switching moods as the game functioned correctly. I'm not bipolar, _really_. I'm just emotional and get angry easily. I'm often shouted at by my older sister for it, too. Oh! Her name's Beth. Short for Elizabeth. We argue a lot, but we love each other anyway.

I hit the first option, Game Start, and moved down until I was on the point where I was in the Shadow Fox with Yuffie. Yuffie Kisaragi, the world's most agitating ninja. That's okay, I still think she's funny—comic relief, ya know?

Ooh, the crystal cave with Lucrecia…why did Vincent even like her? She was perky to the disturbing point, and then screwed Vincent over…well, actually, _she_ kind of got screwed by Hojo…I hate him too. Isn't it kind of creepy? Hojo + Lucrecia = Sephiroth? He's lucky he takes after his mom (I'm talking Lucrecia, not Jenova) and turned out pretty.

"_Lucrecia…" _Vincent began, and I sighed, letting the controller drop onto the bed beside me, and I watched the scene play out.

I finished putting my stuff together for school the next day, and began to turn off lights throughout the house. Then, I turned off the overhead light in the living room over the couch (I wanted to stay in the living room because the couch was comfier than my, my mom's, or my sister's bed) and lay down on the couch, pulling the blankets up to my shoulders. As I closed my eyes, I reflected on the day before, including the smashing of my fingers. Said fingers were now bandaged, with two bandages on my middle finger do to the fact that it received the worst scraping. I had been in a hurry to close the door, and I had screamed (quite loudly) when the door slammed against them. It was funny when I thought about it, but it wasn't funny at all when it happened. In fact, I cried for a few minutes, and thinking about that's funny, too. Because I even bruised my middle finger, and that's never happened before.

I woke up, stretching and yawning, before reaching for my glasses. I threw my pink blanket over the back of the couch and swung my legs over the side, stepping onto the carpet in my feet, which had been kept warm by a pair of thick socks. I started getting dressed as I glanced at the clock. It read 6:55. I woke up five minutes late…where was Beth?

"Probably forgot to set her alarm clock," I decided while turning to the hallway. It was weird that she wasn't awake, considering the fact that I had _watched_ her set the clock the night before, when we had been drawing our own Harvest Moon characters. "Beth!" I knocked on the door, before opening it a crack. "Get up, sleepy head, get ready for school!"

I closed the door when I didn't hear anything…she's probably hit the snooze on accident, and would wake up at 7:00 instead. She'd be fine.

I returned to the living room, stopping at the front door to check the weather outside. I opened the main door, then the storm door…

My eyes shot wide open. The snow that had fallen the night before was no longer there, and it was actually _warm_. The sun was already up, but low in the sky, and only visible past a few…buildings…?

Okay, what the fudge? I didn't live in a city, or near many other houses—what the heck?! Where was I?! Upon looking around, I noted that all of the buildings seemed to be a dark shade of blue, and even the bricks that happened to be in a type of swirling pattern were blue. A few people roamed the streets, and I blinked as realization dawned on me.

"Kalm," I whispered.

I gasped loudly as I sat up, breathing a sigh of relief. What a weird dream! But I had to admit, I had my hopes up for a second there…I mean, how cool would it be to wake up in a video game—

Oh.

_Oh…_

What I was looking at was the blue swirling pattern of the bricks I was lying on. It was warm, but dark out. There was a loud noise that registered as music after a moment, playing in the streets, which I could see from where I was. There were tons of laughing, smiling people…

I stood up, using the wall of the nearby building as support as I forced myself forward on shaky, nervous leg. There was a group of giggling kids nearby…I could ask them…what everyone was celebrating…

Even though I knew.

"Hey, excuse me," I said loudly—I had to repeat myself two or three times—without worrying way too much about them thinking I was an idiot for asking.

"Huh? Oh, what is it?" One of the girls asked. She looked like a normal, carefree kid, wearing a dress that looked as if it was meant to be partied in.

"What's everyone celebrating?" I asked, glancing down at the ground. I was in my pajamas, still, which was embarrassing, and the embarrassment only grew worse as a wave of giggles reached my ears.

"Meteorfall," a blonde explained casually, rolling her eyes at the amused expressions of her friends, "You've been asleep all day, huh?"

"Uh…yeah," I lied, shuddering slightly. I was definitely in trouble unless I woke up soon. But then again, I didn't think I was dreaming anymore. As the wind blew, I saw my bangs—and felt them, as well as the rest of my hair and baggy pajamas—move. "And then I woke up because of all the noise…I guess I forgot to mark my calendar…"

Okay, I was stuck in a video game, and it was a video game where shortly after the opening with the happy festival, the bombs started to drop.

_**Ka-boom!!**_

A loud explosion lit up the already bright night sky, the red color of the explosion contrasting the pale blue moon, and the earth shook.

Speak of the devil.

"What the heck was that?!" A man shouted.

Speaking of bombs…And what was with the censorship there?! People swear all the time in this game—

Focus, Tory, focus.

I watched, my heart pounding, as a Deepground plane-jet-thing--Dragonfly--a Deepground "Dragonfly" flew over the walls, soldiers attached to the wings of the jet dropping down to the ground by chords, instantly shooting at people.

"Run!!" The blonde beside me shouted, turning and running. She was little, but really, really fast. It was funny what adrenaline could do to you. Speaking of adrenaline rushes, I was now running, jumping over anything that was in my way, not noticing as my socks were torn up by fallen debris. People were screaming, and my head was spinning. Things were happening too fast—and yet I kept going. I kept going, because I didn't want to die. I kept going, because I was confused. I kept going, because I heard the scream of a man as I outran him—he had been shot down. I glanced over my shoulder, immediately regretting doing so because I slowed down, and stopped. A Deepground shoulder was aiming at the man again while he coughed up blood. The bullet had gone through his chest, and blood was near his head, coming from his mouth. I couldn't take it.

"Stop!!" I wheezed, bending down and hurling a large piece of debris at the soldier. Ah, I just _love_ my bad aim! Not only did he _not_ shoot the man again (maybe not so great considering the dude was probably suffering), but I missed the soldier by a few feet, and he saw me. Bonus.

"I'm screwed." I concluded.

"She's clean!! Get her!!" He shouted as a few people—two men and two women—caught up with him. They started running, and I screamed, taking off around a corner with a renewed burst of adrenaline.

Okay, one of the first things that ran through my mind was "I'm too young to die," but how could I die? I just got here! I jumped, but kept running as shots were fired at my feet. Alright, they were catching up, and I was frequently jumping to avoid bullets at my feet. Almost all I could hear now was the wheezing sound of my breath, and the screams of others.

I wasn't the only one in danger; I needed to remember that. But I had to keep running, or I'd die…

"Whoa!" I shouted, feeling a hand catch my arm and jerk me to the side. I panicked, flailing my arms, actually _thinking_ it was a Deepground soldier—ha-ha, they didn't get me! Although, when the person clamped a hand over my mouth, it really didn't help—until I saw the golden gleam coming from the gauntlet he was wearing. I felt the man shift, and I turned my head slightly, watching him raise his arm, and aim at the group of Deepground soldiers that had been tailing me a moment before.

"Damn, where'd she get to?" The one leading that particular group shouted.

"She couldn't have gotten that far," a woman said, "we should spread out, and—_ugh!_"

The man had pulled the trigger on his gun, getting a perfect dome shot; an instant kill.

"Look out!" The first soldier barked, and—

_Bam, bam, bam, bam!_

All five Deepground troops lay dead on the ground, and the man behind me let me go. I turned swiftly, knowing already who had saved me:

Vincent Valentine.

"Thank you…" I said breathlessly as he grabbed the side of his cape, turning around swiftly and releasing it, allowing it to flow freely behind him, his raven black hair billowing in the soft wind. He slipped his trusty, triple-barreled gun, Cerberus, back into its holster on his right leg. A cold feeling was left on my cheek from where his gauntlet had brushed my cheek.

**Bwahaha, end of chapter.**


	2. Taggin' Along

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Chapter Two: Tagging Along With Vincent Valentine**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.**

**A/N: Hi again. If you're still reading this, you get another cookie! **

**Also—**

**Simsie92: You are officially the first person to review. Thanks a lot! ^w^**

**So here ya go! And don't forget to tell me what you would like me to draw. Thank you again!**

**(Reviewers 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 will also be rewarded, and when I reach those, I will post the other reviewing prizes. I'll also draw for other crap later on, once I can think about it.)**

I blinked, watching the man take long strides—I was surprised, to say the very least, because…well, he had taken out five Deepground troopers in less than five seconds—away from me, almost disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

"You should go somewhere safe," he advised, his voice low and rumbling.

It was impossible not to think "Oh my _Kira_ he's hot" like I was. Oh, Kira's what Light's known by in Death Note when he starts killing everyone. But I like to avoid swearing and saying things like "oh my God," so we substitute—we being me and my friends—God with Kira and avoid using His name in vain. I'm not an "OMG HE/SHE JUST SAID A BAD WORD INVOLVING GOD/SHE JUST SWORE!!! EVIL!!!" person; It's just how I was raised. I don't mind people that swear, I just don't like to. It goes along with a joke, if you're wondering. Oops, I'm off topic.

I had to go with Vincent, or I'd be left to fend for myself in a world unfamiliar to me—well, I could just stalk him and find the WRO like that, but I might get shot in the process, so…

I had to come up with a plan!

"About that--" I began, and Vincent immediately stopped, though he didn't turn, "Y'see, I, um…"

When Vincent finally _did _turn around, I saw a mild look of annoyance. "Hm?"

"Umm…I'm not from around here," I fake laughed, and went on. "I have no idea where I am, so can I…uh…tag along?"

Vincent turned back around. "Fine," he said. Wow. That was easy. "Just don't get in the way." I'm glad Vincent just wants to get through. He was kind of cold, but at least I knew I'd be relatively safe if I followed him.

"Thanks!" I said, a wave of relief washing over me as I sprinted momentarily to catch up with him. I winced as my feet--now bleeding from running so far in just socks and stepping on broken glass—though none was stuck; I took a moment to make sure—burned in pain. I hissed, but kept following Vincent, ignoring the slight limp it caused.

The area around us was pretty much silent, so I don't think Vincent failed to notice that, whenever I stepped on uneven ground, I hissed at the pain in my feet. After pausing a moment to lift up my right foot to examine the damage…Oh, dear Kira, I almost gagged. There was blood _all over my foot,_ and the pain seemed to double when I saw it. Wincing, I put my foot down, almost running straight into the green liquid-filled vial that Vincent was holding out to me. I jumped back slightly in surprise, taking it from him and looking at it with a purely befuddled look.

"It'll heal the wounds on your feet," he explained. With a small, amused, "Hmph," he added, "The cap unscrews."

"Thank you," I said, reaching to the metal cap to unscrew it. "What is—oh…a potion…right?"

"You've never seen one before." It was more of a statement that a question, and I blushed, lifting the vial to my lips.

My face scrunched up; I hadn't exactly expected the citrus/sour flavor. I shuddered, my lip curling back. I hadn't anticipated this. I'd have to ponder on that one later. But surely enough, the pain in my feet quickly dulled until it was no more.

"Cool," I said with a shrug. "H-hey, matte! Um, I mean, wait!!" Vincent had already started walking again, and I hurried to catch up to him, smiling now that my feet didn't hurt.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?" Vincent asked after I caught up to him, once again not looking at me.

"'Cause I didn't have time to get them on," I said, "I was panicking because of those guys who were attacking--"

Vincent suddenly wheeled around, drawing his gun and firing it four or five times past me at DG hounds that were following us. My ears immediately began to ring, and my eyes were squeezed shut tightly as the bullets stopped going off. Vincent sighed as I opened one eye, and this time, he turned around and kept his gun out of its holster.

"Umm…so…" I began, feeling the powerful urge to start a conversation after my heart stopped pounding and my ears stopped ringing, "A triple-barreled gun, huh?"

"Yeah," Vincent said calmly—he hadn't even flinched when he had shot the bullets.

"Is it heavy?" I questioned, daring to step up beside him. I was keeping a good pace up along with him, though my legs _were_ being slightly strained. I walked all the time, doing laps around my house, and I could easily out-walk most of the people I know. So I was impressed by Vincent's long strides.

"It used to seem a little heavy, but now I don't even notice it."

I looked up at his face, honestly surprised he answered the question with a long sentence. Maybe I would survive this! I HAD A CHANCE!!!

"Oh…" I said as we walked a few more feet, and I nodded jerkily. "Okay, now that I know for sure you weren't aiming at me, what's your name?" Vincent stopped at that, turning his head to look me in the eye with a look that said, "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Vincent Valentine."

"I'm Victoria Carlton," I said with a small smile.

"Victoria…" he repeated, shrugging lightly, "Not a very common name around here."

"Yup, call me Tory, if you don't mind—with a _Y_ at the end, okay? Not an _I_!" I probably should have just said "Tory Carlton" to begin with. "Vincent Valentine's a nice name…not very common either. But it's cool."

Vincent didn't say anything else after that. Neither did I, which caused an awkward silence between the two of us, besides the occasional bullet he fired at an attacking Deepground soldier. I had quickly adapted to what he meant by "stay out of his way"—that way I didn't get shot. Not getting shot was a good thing. Speaking of getting shot--

"Hey…" I mumbled, just barely loud enough for him to hear me. I grabbed his cape, halting his movement to make sure he would look at what I was pointing to.

"What?" He asked, genuinely irritated. I pointed to a rip in the cloth on his upper arm, with blood flowing out onto the fabric. He raised an eyebrow at me before turning, walking forward again. I shuddered, feeling my stomach twist as I tore my eyes from the wound, looking down at my feet.

"You're bleeding…I think you got shot!" I protested while I kept a hold on his cape, "Doesn't it hurt?" Vincent shook his head as he kept going, and I followed—still holding onto his cape.

"No," he uttered in that sexy low voice of his. My _word_, it hadn't even been a full hour and I was already sounding like a fangirl. "It doesn't hurt. I didn't even feel it."

"…Oh…" I released his cape, and paused for a moment in my steps before bolting forward. I grinned. I should've seen that coming—he had been genetically enhanced by Hojo…

Ack! I hate Hojo…Although Vincent _did _end up getting his revenge in the end of Dirge. I think he finally found inner peace, as well. So it worked out pretty well—

I'm using past-tense. Bad Tory. This is what was going to happen: I was going to go with Vincent to find Reeve (couldn't let Vincent know that I knew it though) and then we would get back to saving the citizens from Kalm. I found myself grinning again as I thought of Cait Sith popping out of the fake Reeve. And then my mind went on to Vincent's face when he realized what had happen.

I giggled, and Vincent turned around, right as I put a serious face on.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, turning back around to keep walking.

"Just something I thought of," I answered with a tiny smile, "It's a silly thought though, and now's not the time." Vincent nodded at this, and I apologized. Okay, I could do this, but not if I didn't take him seriously. I needed to get through this alive, and alongside Vincent Valentine. So we needed to get along, at least a little bit. He needed to trust me.

Even more important was my need to trust in him. I felt almost _afraid_ of him…why? It's probably because I knew that if I tried to get too close to him, he might tell me to stay behind…that I was too weak. I needed to be strong.

We stepped out into a larger opening, and I felt goosebumps crawling along my skin, hearing a distant sound…like a helicopter.

_Bam!_

A swishing sound filled the air, and I screamed, "Get down!" I pulled Vincent by his arm, and he saw immediately what I was talking about…just as a missile flew into a barrel behind us—

DANGER.

That's what the barrel said. I read it the second before the missile hit it and I felt like I hit a wall as Vincent and I were blown back hard by the explosion. While Vincent landed well, crouched down on his feet while scraping his gauntlet along the ground to stop the skid early—the scraping sound wasn't pleasant—I wasn't so lucky; I landed on my back, with the wind knocked out of me.

My mouth hung open as I gasped for air, and warm, wet tears of pain streaked down my face. Vincent new immediately what had happened, and before I knew it, he had picked me up and moved me into one of the pathways out of the square, pulling his gun back out from its holster as he began to shoot at the Dragonfly, the Deepground airship that had attacked us. I'd have to thank him—later. I was sore all over—particularly my back—but I was pretty sure Vincent got the worst of the explosion, and I was even more sure that I wasn't as sore as the time Kozmo (my mom's horse) kicked me into a shed wall, and then I fell in a sitting position onto the nearby bench.

Note to self: when I get home. I've gotta thank the darn horse for beating me until I was used to pain.

**Wow…what do you think? Once again, please review. I'd appreciate it a lot.**


	3. Welcome to Hell

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Three: Welcome to Hell**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, there would be…stuff. Such as Sephiroth regaining his sanity and other things magical.**

**A/N: If you're reading this, thank you for your time. Also, if you're saying, "Hey, where the heck does the title tie in?" You'll know eventually. Maybe. I also want to apologize for my rambling in the first chapter, I didn't want to leave any questions unasked or make you think I'm an obsessive Cloud fangirl. I really don't like him. Sometimes. Or an obsessive Vincent fan—wait, yes, I am a Vincent fangirl. I'd also like to apologize for any other rambling you will endure if you read this.**

**No, before you ask, this is not a Romance Sue fic.**

**Also…**

**NorthMedian: NUUU!!!!! LEAVE HIM ALONE HE IS ONLY A BYSTANDER!!!! LOL, I'm glad you like the fic. Thanks for reading! And here's your big cookie. *Hands you a giant cookies and cream cookie* **

**Anne Ominous: Yeah, I know. I ramble. That's my problem and I know it, but thank you for pointing it out. Looked up Mary Sue, read the whole stinking a billion-some pages, and just for the record my mom reads this and she says everything that I've done is okay. Once more, thank you. ^-^ Constructive criticism makes me happy. It helps a lot; you're right.**

Okay.

Let's see, my back hurt. My head hurt. My chest hurt. My LUNGS FREAKING BURNED AND MY CLOTHES WERE TORN UP.

Ow.

Need I say more? I didn't want to get up, I just wanted to close my eyes and be back home. People didn't try to kill me at home. I was crying like a baby, Vincent was off shooting down a plane single-handed (awesome), and there were DG soldiers prancing about shooting at him. Thank Kira they weren't really prancing, because that would've been frightening.

"Hey, there's a girl over there!"

Crap. Looking up, I saw two soldiers that had stopped fighting and were currently staring at me. Once again, crap. Crap, crap, crappity crap.

"She's clean, get her!"

So, I got up, tried to run, tripped, and scraped up my hands in an attempt to catch myself. There was a bang, then another, and when I turned my head I saw the two soldiers nearby on the ground, I turned my head away immediately. Seeing a human being that had been dead only a moment before, it…was disturbing. It was scary and gruesome, and all-around icky.

What a way to wake up!

Wake up to a world where death is such a casual thing…then again, people died every day back home, so why was it so shocking to see a dead body? I'd seen 'em before….just not so…

No, Vincent didn't mutilate them like some of the bad guys in those cop shows and murder investigation shows or anything. It's just that I knew that the guys that were dead were real and not just actors or dolls.

Were they real? Was what I was touching—the ground beneath me—real? I was still on my hands and knees, _still _trying to catch my breath. I felt pathetic as I wiped some blood from my cheek, wincing as my thumb brushed the cut. That'd infect for sure…when had it happened? I snorted, wiping the blood off on my torn PJ pants. Jeez, I was a mess. My hair especially—what was with me and my hair? I shook those thoughts from my head.

I braced my hand against the nearby wall, biting at my lower lip when my scraped palm made contact with it, curling my fingers in, once again biting at my lip as my middle finger throbbed.

"Suck it up, suck it up…" I snarled to myself as I tried to see Vincent in the square. Nope, I didn't see anything but dead bodies, though I _could_ see the Dragonfly in the air, with—

Oh, there's Vincent, on top of a building!! He wasn't ground-bound like he was in the game.

"In the game."

Why did that suddenly sound so wrong? I bit my lip, wondering for a brief moment, why, _why was I brought here?_ For a moment even briefer, I thought it was kinda cool. How many kids got into video games where your life was in danger every passing second? Okay, I quickly pointed out to myself that this was a very bad thing.

Vincent continued firing, dodging missiles and shooting more. Leaping from building to building, I realized just how beautiful his movements were. Why weren't there _real_ men like that? Wake up, Tory, wake up!

_Wake up. Why won't I wake up? This can't be real, I would have a weapon if this were real, and some special ability—I wouldn't be useless like I am, I would be something special._

Yeah, I'm a tender-hearted pansy stuck in a game. And I was getting closer and closer to running out in front of one of the soldiers to have him shoot me.

_Weapon, weap—_

I screamed as something clunked down behind me, twisting my neck so quickly it hurt. After a split second of looking for the source of the noise, I noticed a long metal staff, and I could tell after stepping forward that it could split into three sections. Reaching down, my hand shaking, I lifted it off the ground. It was heavy, but I would manage.

Okay, another thing: someone was definitely there, observing, reading my thoughts. Fighting back a shudder as I clutched the cool metal tightly, I turned around and stumbled toward the square. Limped, even. But I could still move, so I was gonna _keep_ moving until I couldn't anymore.

"Hey!! Over there!!" A female voice shouted—I winced, her voice booming and ringing in my ears. I wrapped both hands around the end of my metal staff, stepping forward and swinging it at the woman. She moved back, _but,_ the end connected with her right hand, and the long gun she held flew out of her grasp. She hissed, trying to grab the staff. I shoved forward, pulled back—dragging her with it—and kicked her in the stomach, muttering "sorry" as her hands slipped. I tried pulling the staff back to swing it at her head, but a stream of bullets near my feet made me scream and jump back, my heartbeat increasing even more—something I thought was impossible.

"No!!" I gasped, panicking as I saw two men raising their guns at me. Out of instinct, I turned to run, sharp grunts of pain reaching my ears before two _thumps_ were heard. More gunshots, and then the chopper was gone. It became eerily quiet, until all I could hear was my own shaking breath, and a pair of boots lightly tapping against the pavement behind me. The soft _clink_ that accompanied each step notified me that it was Vincent, and I turned to him, ashamed of the tears in my eyes.

"Stay out of the way next time," he said, the words stabbing me directly in the chest, my stomach twisting in response. As he passed, he paused for the briefest of moments and handed me a green-filled vial.

"Thank you," I mumbled. "I'm sorry."

He was only patient with me for so long, and he was already getting angry. He seemed almost OOC when we first met, having spoken such a long sentence for someone so quiet. I was confused; not wanting to follow the gunslinger and yet wanting to stay close to someone I knew would keep me safe. I twisted the cap off and threw it off to the side, tipping my head back as I drank down a mouthful, and then another, dropping the now-empty vial to the ground. I wasn't one to litter, but what was the point of worrying about things like that at that particular moment?

I ran forward to catch up with Vincent, my bare feet padding almost silently across the blue bricks.

I'm not useless after all!

I was covered in more spatters of blood, and my eyes were wide as I continued to slam the end of my staff against the group of soldiers Vincent and I were working away at. I kept my eyes open, almost never blinking as I fought back gags at hearing cracks of skulls against either my staff or the wall.

Shelke and Azul watched Vincent and I, thought mostly Vincent—what did I matter?

_The Protomateria…give it to us, now._

I had almost laughed at that thought, but now I was shaking, wishing for battle music to distract me from the other noises—shouts, shots, cracks and gags—

Oh, hang on, that _was_ me gagging on the ground when the smell of blood heightened, some of the warm liquid spattering directly at my face and into my mouth after a shot from Vincent's gun pierced a nearby soldier's helmet.

My body shuddered and convulsed as the vomit burned my mouth, dripping out onto the floor. Another gag followed, and a lost a mouthful more as my stomach tightened.

Vincent was fast and had no problems about killing other humans, shooting them down without hesitation, one following another…

And I just stayed there on my hands and knees, puking until I was heaving, and I was so dizzy at that time I barely noticed the violent rumbling of the floor as Azul left, carrying Shelke with him.

"I'm…sorry…" she had said, hanging limply in his hand.

_Me too,_ I agreed mentally, blinking through the haze of hot tears now running down my face. I let a small bit of spit run off my lips before I spat, closing my mouth.

"What in the _world_ happened in here?"

I lifted my head, almost surprised to see the blue blur of Reeve Tuesti, who seemed equally surprised to see me. Attempting to smile, I managed only a grimace before ducking my head back down to throw up more, having caught sight of the bloodied bodies. Vincent said something that I didn't catch, before Reeve responded with,

"Azul the _Cerulean?!_"

"Yeah," I gasped between rounds of retching. "Don't mind me."

"You sure you're okay?" Vincent questioned, and I shook my head in response.

"I'll live," I stated, forcing myself with my shaking arms into a sitting position. "Oh, my word, I'm dizzy."

A bit more or less than a minute later and Vincent had stated that he wanted no part of Reeve's plans.

"Reeve," he had said, "I don't know what you're up to, but I want absolutely no part of it."

I made a move to back up, muttering to myself, "I don't belong here, I'll just be in the corner. I'm not a part of this conversation…"

"But--" Reeve protested, his mouth agape for a moment, "You helped us three years ago, Vincent, and we need your help once more--"

"G'down!!" I shouted, jolting forward at the sight of a Deepground soldier behind Reeve. My heart picked up its beating speed all over again, and I had almost managed to warn him in time before the soldier shot him, and he landed on the ground. The soldier himself was quickly killed off.

"Reeve!!" Vincent said, not quite a yell as he kneeled at his comrade's side, attempting to take his shoulders only for…

…a small, black and white ball-thing to pop out…

…and unroll…

…into Cait Sith.

"Whoa, that was a close one!!" the toy cat said, a smile pulling at his feline lips, "Ya had me worried there! You act like ya don't care, but ya always come through in the end!!" I snorted back a giggle as Vincent rolled his eyes. "Ya really are a good bloke after all!!" The accent alone was enough to get me giggling.

"A suit…that's right…" I muttered, keeping my hand over my mouth as I continued to laugh. Ah, one of the silliest points in the game and I had forgotten all about it!

"And for tryin' to help me, Lassie, thanks for that!! That almost hit! Another inch or so, and…oh, I don't even want to think about it!"

"Umm…You're welcome, I guess," I said, startled when I realized he had been referring to _me_. "I'm, uh, Tory."

"Nice ta meetcha, Tory!! Cait Sith, at your service!" Cait Sith said, his oversized hands on where his hips would be, were he human. I cracked a smile, walking over closer to them, Vincent still kneeling next to the cheerful cat.

"Okay," Vincent sighed, "What do you want us to do?"

"Aha," Cait Sith exclaimed, "We need to drive those blokes outta town!"

"We?" I repeated, my eyebrow almost twitching. "Us? Huh?"

"Hmph," Vincent…hmphed, "I figured you weren't going to listen to me when I told you to stay out of the way, but…Well, I suppose I was wrong."

"Oops," I groaned, slapping my palm against my forehead, "I'm so sorry, I thought I could help--"

"Aww, pukin' ain't gonna help much 'round here!!" Cait Sith said, "But keep tryin' I'm sure you'll get the hang of it sooner or later!"

I winced, rediscovering the horrible taste in my mouth.

"I'm sorry, I wanna help--" I stopped immediately, realizing how whiny I sounded; so childlike…

"Alright then," Vincent said, moving towards the nearest window, "Let's go."

Cait Sith gave us directions, and Vincent hopped out the window—I rolled my eyes to hide my amazement.

"Alright Lassie, you be careful now!" Cait Sith offered friendly advice, and I smiled. "And remember to rest up later at the Headquarters."

"Thanks," I shrugged, "And I'm taking the door—ohhhhhnastynastynasty…" I jumped and stepped through the pile of bodies, hurrying down the stairs. "Bye, Cait Sith!!" If I had had more time, I would have picked him up and cuddled him. "Vincent," I shouted, "Hang on!!"

Soldiers, soldiers, soldiers…

I was scared. It was chaos, the way everyone was running around so frantically, and there were WRO guys and girls helping out. I could see there faces.

Welcome to hell, Tory.

I saw some of the expressions go blank as they were shot, or twist in agony if a bullet only wounded them. I was struggling to follow Vincent, and only caught up to him while he was talking to a soldier. I sighed, trying to catch my breath. Once again, I had managed to tear my feet up. I barely felt it through all the bullet nicks. Once again, I _hurt_.

"Thanks for waiting up," I muttered softly, not meaning for Vincent to hear it. He continued speaking to the man, who was forced to shout loudly over the sound of crackling fire, shouting, and gunshots.

"_No worries…I'll take care of it."_

I turned my head to the voice off to the side a bit. For a split second, I thought I saw someone I knew, but even as I spoke I knew how stupid it was to think that.

"Ko--?"

"Victoria."

I literally jumped in surprise, sharply inhaling as my eyes caught on red orbs.

"Hai?" I responded.

"Are you coming?"

"Hai."

"Excuse me?"

"I said _hai,_" I explained, "H-A-I, as in _yes_ in…Wutaian. Jeez." Truth be told, "jeez" was barely uttered, and I refused to roll my eyes at Vincent. I didn't want my brains blown out. After a moment, Vincent nodded, turning slightly to walk away, and I followed before waving to the man who Vincent had been speaking to.

"—_badass, plus--"_

I halted my movements, hearing the voice again. I did a full 360, trying desperately to spot the owner of the voice. Somewhere in the spin, I saw the tall boy, but the moment I tried to return my gaze to him, he was gone.

It was my imagination acting up again.

I'm not crazy.

Am I?

**Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd Chapter Three is ovah! Please review, tell me whatcha think. ^-^ Please?**


	4. Screw It

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Four: Screw It**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the fudging game, Riku would be Sephiroth's son. HaHA!!! And for that, I would have to own Kingdom Hearts, too!! …sigh…**

**A/N: Wow, you're still reading this? Yay!! Huh…let's see…you know, at 90 pages, I was almost at the end of the game, but now I'm rewriting this because I changed my mind on some crap that happens!!**

**Rutilus I. V.: Heheh, thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you like. But Vincent isn't a pedophile, plus I'm not good enough for him. If he likes chicks as pretty as Lucrecia, I don't have a chance. Unfortunately!! XD**

**Oh, one more thing!! I'M NOT A MARY SUE!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!**

"Why are there barrels here…?" I questioned, my eyes fixing on some barrels that read DANGER. "Oh, crap!!"

"Hm?" Vincent responded, barely turning his head as his eyes shifted to the barrels. By his changing expression, as well as that glint in his eyes, he heard the sound that had reached my ears as well.

_The chopper._

But even as I thought that, I saw something on the barrels that I was sure hadn't been there before—a logo. But before I had a chance to squint, the Dragonfly had shown itself.

"Do you want me to hide?" I questioned, holding my hair down as the Dragonfly neared. Vincent nodded, gesturing with his hand for me to move back. I turned around, holding my metal staff to my chest as I ran to one of the alleyways for cover. I gasped and stumbled as pain shot up my leg, and I dropped immediately to remove the small shard of glass.

_Why am I here, if I can't fight?_

I couldn't defend myself that well, as evidenced from my bruises that had taken two potions to heal. I had tried to cheer myself up after the battle by thinking, "Hey, maybe I'm leveling up?" At least the potions had washed down the taste of vomit—Kira, that's disgusting…

"Go Vincent go!!" I cheered as Vincent shot at one of the "legs" of the Dragonfly. I felt stupid for a moment, but felt stupider for feeling stupid. I squinted in a desperate attempt to see what Vincent was removing from his pocket, and I saw him run under the belly of the chopper while doing something…

OH MY KIRA IT WAS A SYRINGE.

Whiiiiiiich Vincent promptly tossed to the side after jabbing it into his arm with a force that made a stab of sympathy pain run through my upper arm down to my fingertips.

Vincent's movements halted completely for a moment, and he roared, tipping his head back as an orb of darkness circled around him. I think I was grinning, but I knew my heartbeat quickened upon watching. Wondering who said "whoa" a second later, I realized it was me—me, sounding like a little kid watching a movie.

Or playing a game.

_Gahh, quit it!! God, I sound like a baby…_

Vincent, now the Galleon Beast, was on top of the chopper, tearing it apart and throwing blasts at it like there was no tomorrow. At some point it lifted in a last-ditch effort at escape, and Vincent jumped off.

The chopper was leaving, getting farther away, until it crashed—I hoped it was _outside_ Kalm.

Soon after Vincent transformed, a group of DG soldiers attacked, but a van showed up and out came Reeve Tuesti in the flesh, and with the help of more WRO troops, the Deepgrounders didn't stand a chance. I stayed put like the good little girl I always wanted to seem like, and didn't come out until Vincent came and got me.

The cold ground I was sitting on, my back against a cargo box, felt good. I started to nod off, but tried to keep my eyes open. I swear; the potions Vincent gave me messed me up or something. I felt dizzy and woozy and sick and pathetic all at once, but relaxed and calm all the same. I still held my staff against my chest as I drew my knees up, now leaning against a box on my right. I yawned audibly, squeezing my eyes shut.

They didn't open. My eyelids were too heavy; I was too exhausted.

I was suddenly falling, and my body jerked, my arms flailed, and I hit the floor of something.

"Ah!"

I spotted Vincent sitting on some sort of seat while he fired a gun-thing out the back of the moving vehicle I was in.

"Good morning," a voice said, and I was still too dazed to recognize the voice. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh…" I groaned, "What's going—AHHH!!!!" My voice raised a few pitches into a girly scream as something almost managed to throw itself into the van, but Vincent shot it down immediately. I dropped my head back onto the steel floor. At least…I think it was steel. Forgive me. I feel stupid. "Ahh, I'm thinking too much…"

Vincent got up and the seat + gun pulled into the floor, folding down to fit. Vincent hopped up onto the top of the van thing, and the doors shut. I reached up, grabbing onto the seat cushion to pull myself up as I looked to the man in blue, hitting some buttons while looking at a monitor.

"You drive with buttons?" I questioned, my voice slurring.

"It's much safer this way," he explained, his eyes not leaving the monitor. I head a thump on the roof and winced.

"Huh…buttons…Neesan'd love this…"

"Neesan?" Reeve repeated, this time glancing at me, a small smile on his face—wow, he looked…different…but the same. "You speak Wutaian?"

"A bi…t…" I muttered, "Holy crap!!! Keep your eyes on the road!!" Immediately, I was awake as the van jolted. "Vincent, are you okay up there?!"

Gunshots still sounded, and I took that as a yes.

"He can handle himself," Reeve said in an assuring manner, "In the meanwhile, how are you?"

"Woozy," I sighed, situating myself on the seat, "How bad do I look?"

"You could look much worse," Reeve chuckled.

"Thanks, but the truth won't kill me, Mr.…Tuesti, right?"

"Yes. You are Ms. Carlton?"

"Tory," I replied, "You don't have to call me that." That was new—NOBODY had EVER called me Ms. Carlton. I held my hand to my cheek, disgusted at the heat—I was blushing. No, no, someone _had _called me that before…It was--

"Then please, I would feel much better if you called me Reeve."

"Mmkay," I said, reaching my finger between my eye and the lens of my glasses on the right side, shutting my eye as I rubbed at it. "Reeve Tuesti…I gotta say, that's a different name—then again, I've never heard of anyone else named Carlton at home."

"Neither have I," Reeve chuckled, though the smile faded. "The bridge is out! Hang on!"

"Oh yeah," I muttered, though I swallowed hard. "Why aren't we stopping?!" I then blurted as I watched us near a cliff on the monitor.

I felt the leather tear beneath my fingernails as I dug them into the seat, my stomach lurching, then seeming to rise almost into my mouth as we jolted with our landing. I gasped as my neck jerked.

And I was on the floor again. I was going to get to know it really well with Reeve's driving.

"Oww…" I groaned, and Reeve was over next to me in an instant as he helped me back into a sitting position. I briefly wondered if Vincent had managed to hold onto the ladder on the van, like he had in the…

Game…?

_Game…sounds so wrong._

"Are you okay?"

I glared at Reeve and his amusement, quickly lowering my eyes again. "It's not funny, it hurt…"

Reeve nodded apologetically, moving to the doors. They swung open and he jumped out—we were at an angle.

"You okay?" I heard Vincent ask, his voice calm and deep.

"I am, but I can't say the same for Tory or the engine."

"Your driving sucks, Reeve," I commented softly.

"What, did you kill her with your driving?"

"No, but she's sore…and Vincent, I would like you to continue to Edge."

_Edge?_

"Did you actually pass Driver's Ed?"

"Oh," Vincent said softly, and I could imagine a nod.

_Yeah, I love you too, Vinny._

"With her feet bare, I wouldn't want her to walk so far. I'll stay here to repair the engine, and take her to Headquarters."

_Man, I'm tired…I wanna…I wanna go home. And be safe…I'll tell Kone-sama about the dream when I get online, after I wake up._

"Vincent…?" I muttered, blinking my heavy eyelids. I tried raising my voice. "Be careful…okay?"

_Xiactorvi, Crystal and Twix danced around, holding each other's hands as they jumped up and down, grinning and laughing happily. Xiactorvi's fire red hair almost made it impossible to see her smile as she bounced, the near-curls covering her yellow eyes. Twix's long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, only her bangs blocking her vision through one green and one brown eye._

_Crystal was my favorite—she had long silver hair past her shoulder blades, and warm green eyes. Her pale skin reflected the moonlight they played in, so that it almost glowed._

"_We did it, we did it, we did it--!" They chanted, though what the three kids did that made them so happy, I have __**no**__ clue._

_There, under a tree nearby, a blonde girl sat watching, smiling and laughing along though she didn't jump. Her hair was short, just passing her chin while her bangs hung low in her violet eyes._

_Kari._

"_Kids," a woman called, and I turned to see a purple-haired woman with stunning green eyes standing there, "Come inside, it's late!"_

_Crystal, Xiactorvi, and Twix ran immediately to the house, but I went over to the tree, extending a hand to the frail blonde._

"_Come on," I said, and she took my hand immediately, her pale skin making me look tan. Of course, I was in a younger body now—was I ten?—so that I was paler than I should have been anyways. _

_I helped Kari to her feet, and quickly turned around. She put her arms around my shoulders and I helped lift her legs around, tightening around my stomach._

"_Thank you," she said, as always._

_I had such nice friends, and an adoptive mother that was just as kind. Here, I was always welcomed, I would always know what was wrong, and I could always help._

As the scene switched to black, and I squeezed my eyelids shut even tighter, I felt the dream fading, and I would forget it.

_Unlike now._

Unlike now _what?_

My brain hurt.

"Uuuughh…"

No, it was my entire head, skull and brain both included.

"Ma'am?"

I jolted slightly, my eyes opening and immediately locking on to an extremely fuzzy form across the room. After a moment, the voice registered and I realized it was a woman.

"Yes…?" I replied, sitting up slowly. I was in a bed—where was I?! OH MY GOOGLY MOOGLY, I was…I was…

"The Commissioner brought you back to headquarters, Ma'am," the woman explained loudly, and I almost hissed at her as her words pounded in my ears. "He asked me to come check up on you. I apologize for waking you up, Ma'am!"

_How old do these idiots think I am?_

"You didn't, just random…coinkidink." I struggled with the word, fighting through the haze of my worsening headache. I squeezed my eyes shut and lay back down, stomach lurching at the movement.

"I've brought you clean clothes, Ma'am, is there anything else I can do to make you more comfortable?" Her voice was softer now, probably having noticed what was wrong.

"Do you have anything for headaches?" I muttered softly, trying to ignore the burning in my throat and on my tongue—ahh, the puking had hurt my taste buds after all… "And some water?"

"Right away," she said, hurrying to the bedside. I head a _fwumph_ as what I guessed was the clothing she had mentioned, before she said, "I'll be right back."

_You sound like a freaking maid._

"Thanks," I muttered, trying not to slip back into sleep—it seemed so welcoming, but…

Screw it.

I was asleep.

**Wootness, and once more thank you for your reviews.**


	5. The Reunion and Squee

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Five: The Reunion and Squee**

**Disclaimer: I own Crystal, Kari, Xiactorvi, Twix, and some OCs that will show up, but others like the purple-haired woman belong to my sister.**

**A/N: Chapter five is here, and though I did an un-posted version of this fic offline, I'm liking this one a lot more already.**

**crystalfeathers: Mysterious? Wow, that's probably one of the greatest compliments I've ever gotten! =D Anywho, thanks! I'm going to take a guess and think you're talking about the funny dream? *I hope so***

**Um, wow, I'm really happy I've gotten this far…the fic before hit ninety-some pages, but now that I'm starting and have you guys reviewing is keeping me completely motivated! Thanks so much!**

_Crystal and I were enjoying a pleasant, dignified conversation while Rin and Airron bickered, the two boys casting spells—Rin, fire, and Airron, wind,--at each other, when a voice in the distance called be back to the Land of Uselessness. Rin was a redhead—his the color of blood—and Airron was a bright blonde._

"Huh?" I croaked, genuinely hoping someone had tried waking me up—it was always awkward when I woke up talking. "Oh…"

I was looking at a woman with dirty blonde hair, unable to figure out if her eyes with blue or green. She wore a red cap that was tilted slightly on her head.

"Here," she said, "Sit up." This one was different from before; her voice was higher and younger-sounding. Plus she wasn't calling me "Ma'am." Brownie pointage!

"Thanks," I spoke, blinking away the sleep-induced fog and popping the pills the handed me into my mouth, tipping back the glass of water to make them go down easier. After that I drank more water, emptying the glass somewhat greedily, though I was too tired and sore to be embarrassed by my manners.

"No problem," she said, the bed sinking lightly beside my left foot informing me that she had sat down, "How ya doing?"

"Better now that I've slept."

"You know the Commissioner long?"

"The _who?_" I muttered, resting my elbows on my knees. A loud, amused laugh hit my ears and I winced.

"Mr. Tuesti—_Reeve_?"

"Oh yeah…no."

"Really?"

"No. Wait, yeah, no I haven't known him." I think she was smiling, before it broke out into a full-out grin. "What?" I questioned, blushing slightly.

"You're a _mess_, you know that?" she giggled, and I reached up, touching my hair, trying to smooth it down.

"Sorry…" I sighed, "I know how awful I look in the mornings…_is it_ morning?" When the girl shook her head, I saw her smile dim down slightly.

"No, it's seven PM. You were brought here at 5:30 PM yesterday afternoon." She paused, tilting her head while still holding her chin in her palm. "I'm Alida Croszekht. What's your first name?"

"Tory," I mumbled, raising an eyebrow at her last name—I had her spell it out for me—what kind of name was _that?_ Then again, _Shinra_ was pretty funny too. "Victoria, actually, but…what ever…"

"Victoria? Huh," she smiled as she closed one eye at me thoughtfully, "I like _Vicky_. Can I call ya that instead?"

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind."

One, two, _three_ people had called me that before her. Not like I minded—I was The Chicken in my group back at school. I won't discuss that.

"Great, now sit tight and I'm gonna go get a hairbrush."

"I look forward to it," I stated, lacing my words with sarcasm as she practically danced out the door.

I looked at the pile of clothes on the bedside table, and, sighing, I picked up the first thing: a black shirt. I switched out of my PJ top—extremely torn—into the black one, pulling it so it fit snugly over my torso. There was a pair of black, somewhat loose-around-the-legs pants, and other stuff that was necessary. Including a vest, which was more of a grey then a black. Said vest was made of a thick material—was that metal in it?—and was almost uncomfortably tight, but I wouldn't complain.

"_Oww!!!_" I shouted, trying to clutch at my scalp only to have my hand swatted away. "Start at the ends!" Okay, not that _I_ ever do, but…

"But you said I could fix your hair--"

"Gimme the brush, I'll do it myself though I appreciate your efforts!!" I snapped, "Quit pulling so hard!"

"Quit sniping at me," she snapped right back, pushing my hands away as she pulled some hair upward, following her hand with a sweep of the brush. "My friends have me do this all the time, and I think your hair would look _so_ much better with a high ponytail!"

I hate preps at school, and I had the strangest feeling that if this girl had been in school with me, she would've been one.

"Oh, _now_ you stop trying to rip it out at the roots!"

"Blacks, blondes, reds, and browns? _God_…Did you have a dying problem or is this all natural?"

"All natural, if I dyed it I would want it all black."

"No, that wouldn't look too great on you, you should do red."

"Yeah, I guess, but I like black."

"Obviously."

"Huh?"

"You were practically black-and blue when you got here," she said, "It was a joke."

I shrugged. "Oh. Was I really?"

"Yeah, you took a beating back in Kalm apparently."

I didn't care about that—was Vincent back?

"Um, hey," I said, "Do you know if Mr. Valentine is here yet?" Alida paused, then pulled more hair back.

"No, I don't think so, but some other weird kid showed up," the blonde said, tying something around my ponytail to keep it up.

"Who?" I asked, almost rolling my eyes.

"Name's Darin…I think."

At _Dar_, I had felt my heart leap, but with the second syllable, it sank. "Oh," I said, disappointment evident in my voice.

"He's really tall, and has kinda curly blonde hair—he's really cute!"

Oh, _GAWD, _yes she would be a prep. "How tall?" I asked. "Nice eyes?"

"Really tall and kinda skinny, but he's got blue eyes."

Uh-oh.

"Derik. It's _Derik_, isn't it?!" I gasped, turning my head and shoulder so I could look at her and she smiled and gasped as well.

"Yeah! You know him?"

"KONE-SAMA!!!!!" I literally squealed, cringing as my own voice rang painfully in my ears. "Kone-sama's here! Where?" I moved away from Alida, who had been seated cross-legged behind me, to jumping onto the floor while grabbing the grey zip-up boots that had been left with the clothes.

"Relax, follow me…_God_, I didn't know he had a girlfriend--"

"I'm not," I explained quickly, "But he has one, sorry! But before we go, where's the bathroom?"

"Oh GOD--"

"Kone-sama!!" I sobbed—literally, I was crying halfway through the hallways—as I latched onto him, not surprised at all at how light he felt. "I missed you, what are you doing here?!"

As Kone-sama rubbed my back in circles, returning the embrace, he said, "Considering where we are, I would like to know the same."

"I can't believe you're stuck here too, I can't believe it!! I knew it, but I can't believe it!"

I couldn't, either. Self inserts usually involved one person, I was pretty sure, so why was Kone-sama there, too? At the time I decided it didn't matter, and I pulled back to take in the sight that was the new outfit he had on. It was black, there was leather and buckles, and he still had his black collar on. But no top hat. But, on the other hand, he had gloves that had spikes on the knuckles.

"No top hat?" I asked, almost disappointed.

"_No_ top hat."

I smiled, sniveling. "Maybe that's a good thing."

"Damn straight," he responded.

Kone-sama is older than me by two and a half years, being in my sister's social group. He was like a big-brother figure, and a best friend and RP-Buddy online.

"Um," Alida began, "You guys have known each other for…_how _long?"

"Two years or so," I shrugged, turning to face her as I wiped at the stickiness left from the tears. "Why?"

"You guys are all like, buddy-buddy."

_No dip, blondilocks._

_That's not nice._

"How long have you been here?" I asked, "I mean, not _here, but…HERE?_" I had remembered to lower my voice.

"Since like, a day ago, dammit all, and it took you forEVERS to find me."

"At the festival?"

"Si, Crystal-chan."

"Crystal-chan?" Alida snorted, "I thought your name was Victoria?"

"Long story," Kone-sama stated with a hand gesture that seemed to say, "shoo," or rather…

_Fuck off?_

_Stop swearing._

Yeah, I swear in my head and correct myself, but I keep doing it.

"Oh, so you two _do _know each other!!" I jumped at the deeper male voice, and upon looking to the opposite door from which we came, I saw Reeve.

"Damn skippy."

"Yup," I said, for a moment slipping into the little thirteen-year-old mode I had issues with. "We do."

Reeve smiled widely and said, "Excellent. I'm sure you two will be much more comfortable here, now. Alida, you are dismissed."

Alida visibly scowled as she barked, "Yes, Sir!" and hurried, without stomping, out the door.

"What the hell was with her?" Kone-sama whispered, leaning down sideways slightly.

"PMS," I sent back, arching an eyebrow.

"Now, if you don't mind my asking," Reeve heightened his voice again, and I knew he was addressing both of us, "Did you grow up together?"

As much as I didn't like repeating myself, I shook my head calmly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as Kone-sama replied, "Nope. I happen to be from Mideel," he said, "But then I moved to lower Junon a while back." I'm glad Kone-sama's good at talking, and that he wasn't in his antisocial bubble anymore. Something else I was glad about was that Kone-sama still remembered town names. "Miss Victoria's family is from…"

At his hesitance, something that worries me in Kone-sama, I said,

"_Gongaga_, my family moved to lower Junon after we got enough money…after the reactor exploded." My face flushed; that sounded almost frantic in its speed.

_Gongaga. That's where Zack's from._

_Shit._

_**Dang it**__, stop swearing._

It's not like Zack was going to tell on me if he ever heard that. He's dead, he wouldn't bother Cloud for something stupid like that. Why was I thinking too hard?

_Because I'm an obsessed chick,_ I offered to myself, rolling my eyes.

"Oh…" Reeve said, eyes catching mine, before he nodded. "I see." Yeah, he was probably thinking my family moved because of the death of other family members and needing to escape the memories.

Oh yes, I was most definitely thinking too hard.

"Fucking hell…?" Kone-sama muttered, glancing down at me, "_Gng…Gun…GonGAGA?_"

"Yes," I said, "Gongaga. Don't you remember? Neesan told you that when she met you?"

"That is such a weird name for a town."

"Nibelheim's worse."

"No, Gongaga is."

"Gongaga's just funnier," I protested.

"No, Gongaga is a word that strains your tongue and forces you to say GUN and GAGA."

"No, Kone-sama, you're still saying it wrong!"

"Hmm…whatever. I win."

Another thing about Kone-sama?

You can't win. Ever.

"Are you finding everything alright?" Reeve asked out of the blue, while sitting down near a computer to look at some files. "I realize this is a large facility, so--"

"No worries, no worries," Kone-sama said, his face lacking a smile yet still pleasant.

"Um…I'll get lost easily, but I'll be okay."

"You lie," Kone-sama said, "So you can follow _ME_." With that, he swung an arm over my shoulder.

"Squee," I said.

I had to explain to Reeve what squee was.

**Okay, an all-dialogue, no-action chapter, rather boring if you ask me. But forgive me, Kone-sama came and it was important. He is not assisting me personally in writing this but has volunteered to be a character in this. Next chapter will have Vincent in it. I promise.**


	6. The Argument

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Six: The Argument**

**Disclaimer: Is Zack still alive? No. That means I don't own anything.**

**A/N: Holy cow, chapter six. I'm enjoying writing this, and I would kind of like to have some opinions on whether I should write the stories of the OCs in the dreams or write them in separate mini-stories. Xiactorvi and Twix are relatively new, but I've had Kari and Crystal for years.**

**Let's get to the story! **

**And also, for my lovely reviewers, thank you for helping me out here—I wouldn't be this far without your comments and criticism keeping me motivated. Thank you.**

What is it with girls and Kone-sama? He's cute, but he makes a better brother than he could ever be a boyfriend, in my opinion—then again, his girlfriend would probably disagree with me. But walking past girls and hearing giggles and whispers was getting annoying. Kone-sama, being used to it, ignored it.

Poor Kone-sama.

"It's just like at school," I muttered, rolling my eyes. Kone-sama was in high school, I was in middle school, but at one point Kone-sama came from his school to Beth's, and I heard all about the little whispers and giggles.

"Huh?" he responded, removing the ear phones connected to the iPod that had somehow managed to come with him.

"All the girls," I pointed out. He nodded.

"Indeed it is."

My headache had worn down so that it was just a dull ache, almost nonexistent. I was fiddling with my glasses, examining the new scratches from Kalm as I walked.

"So, about where's Vincent?" Kone-sama questioned, and I shrugged, peaking out a window nearby window from the cafeteria.

"I dunno," I said, "He might have already passed out, and could be on his way as we speak, or I'm just getting my hopes up."

"That staff-thing you had in your room, where'd you get it?"

"Dropped out of thin air."

"Woo."

"Woot?"

"No, woo."

I smiled. This was going to be a much more pleasant adventure with Kone-sama around. My mind moved back to the staff, and I shuddered, replaying in my mind what I had done with it.

The clanging and cracks it had caused, the violent shouts as it had connected with heads…

_Did I kill someone?_ My stomach twisted at the thought. I had. I briefly remembered a soldier's head twisting around when I had hit him, a bit too far over his shoulder. I had snapped his neck. But those soldiers were evil, and trying to kill me. It was them or me.

I chose me.

"Were you helping with the evacuation in Kalm or what?" I asked, looking to my blue-eyed friend.

"Fending off Deepground troops," he replied, "I was kicking ass."

"With what?" I asked.

"A couple of guns I borrowed," he shrugged. "And then, I, like, got a Limit Break and went all BAMF."

"That's wonderful," I rolled my eyes at his words, "I haven't gotten a Limit Break yet…Were you hurt or what?"

"Yeah, got my left arm all shot up." To prove his point, Kone-sama pulled his sleeve up and showed off some leftover scars.

"Ouch," I said, flinching. "Yeah…looks almost as bad as my arms do…"

Kone-sama didn't seem too bothered by it. He seemed pretty relaxed about this situation, and that was only adding to my panic. Part of me still wanted this to be a dream—I'd felt wounds in dreams before!

How come he was so calm? I'd killed—no, no, no, don't think about it—and _he_ probably had…

"It's really eerie…I wanna go home," I mumbled, and Kone-sama shrugged again.

"Wasn't it you, just a month ago, saying you wanted something new?" he sighed, sounding almost…irritated? "That it would be awesome to show up here?"

"Yeah, but--"

"And now you're complaining."

I pouted. Was he mad at me? Did I do something that upset him? Did I _say_ something that upset him?!

"But don't you wanna go home too?" I asked, my voice raising a pitch. "Cause I do! I've had enough adventure to last my whole life!"

"You'll regret saying that if we get home, you know," he stated, and I winced. His tone was abnormally harsh and exasperated.

"No, I won't! When we get home, I'm going to get rid of everything Final Fantasy VII."

"I'm going to, too—believe me. _If_ we get home. A week or two tops, and then we might want to start trying to get settled somewhere."

"If someone put us here, then someone can bring us home," I said, my chest tightening. I sniffed. "It's not fair; why _us?_"

"Why the hell are you asking me?!" Kone-sama snapped, and my eyes widened considerably. "I don't know any more than you do at this point; hell, you probably know more than I do about the damn storyline!"

I gasped.

"I'm sorry!" I shouted, tears welling up in my eyes, "I was just…I'm sorry, I just wanted to get my thoughts straight, I guess…"

"Well go get them straight with Vincent or something."

Kone-sama and I had never gotten into a fight. We'd _never_, EVER raised our voices at each other. We'd never lost patience, but now it was like he was sick of me…and the glare he had given me a moment before…it confirmed it.

"He's not here yet," I snapped, turning. "But whatever's wrong with you, _get over it_. I didn't stick us in here, and if it were my choice, I'd be at home, playing Tales of Symphonia or something else with a nice cup of hot cocoa!"

If he wanted to raise his voice—if he wanted to break the peace between us, I would too. I'd raise my voice right back.

But I'd regret it. I always would. I could say an argument was my mom or older sister's fault, but in the end, I was always the one who would go back—crying--and apologize. But right then, I was going to live in the moment of anger and stomp of, blaming Kone-sama for something that wasn't his fault.

Maybe everything wasn't going to be okay.

I woke up at about eleven o'clock the next day and was informed by Alida, upon arriving at the cafeteria, that Reeve wanted me to know that Vincent had been brought here unconscious—I acted panicked, and I really was concerned about Vincent and I wanted to see him, but I knew what happened and that he was okay—so I went looking for Reeve. Or Shalua, whichever I ran into first.

You know, being in a video game world is weird—I have no idea how, but I had only spent about twenty minutes looking for the cafeteria. Without asking directions. BOOYAH!

The WRO HQ (I know I'm lazy for abbreviating both parts of that) was bigger that it showed up as in the game, and it was easy to get lost in, but I would survive. And upon remembering one of the doors you appear outside of after that cutscene when Deepground attacks, I directed myself toward one of the staircases.

And, two seconds later, I decided that I was lost. Just the thought of asking for help embarrassed me—go figure. But another second passed, and I decided that it was important enough to ask directions.

"Thanks," I said, giving the guy who had helped my one last thankful glance before stepping through the automatic door, into a room where I was immediately noticed by a woman with red hair, glasses, and…

A lab coat. Shalua!

"Oh, hello," she said, looking up from something that she was typing. "Are you lost?"

"No," I said, pouting. She smirked. "I'm…I'm Tory. Is Vincent okay?" Shalua nodded over to the other side of the room, and I followed her gaze to some sort of round, vertically standing tank. The one Vincent was in the game.

Aaaaaaand, there I go again with the "in the game" thing.

And another thing; they left out a lot of details in the game. Including the fact that Vincent wasn't _standing_ in there, he was floating a little, and his hair was billowing out in the liquid.

"Umm…"

"Yes?"

"Can he breathe in there?" I asked, "Because…"

"Yes, he can breathe," Shalua laughed, rolling her eyes—err, _eye_. I dared to look at the closed one for a moment, but looked away.

"Okay."

"I'm Shalua Rui," she said.

"Nice t'meetcha." I glanced at Vincent again, then back at Shalua. "I'm Victoria Carlton. Obviously though, I go by Tory."

I like Shalua, but I don't like her OCDScience! (TM) moments. I also didn't like the awkward silence that settled over us. She seemed kinda busy typing, and though I usually don't like chattering away, but I felt weird, being in the same room as Shalua at that point. Or maybe it was the fact that she kept giving the sleeping vampire look-alike funny looks.

Maybe it was just being in the same room as Vincent?

"Is it all right if I stay here until he wakes up?" I asked softly, and Shalua's blue eye shifted from her work to me.

"Pardon?"

"I said, is it all right for me to stay in here until Vincent wakes up?" I repeated, raising my voice a bit more.

"I don't mind a bit," she said, smiling in an almost casual way. "Wanna keep track of that friend of yours, I take it?"

I almost nodded, but stopped myself. Vincent wasn't my friend. I couldn't call him that. Even if I cared about him, we were just acquaintances. Kone-sama was the only real friend I had at the WRO, and he was ticked off at me for what I figured was no reason.

"He's just a battle buddy," I stated, glancing over at the gunslinger with a grin. I wanted to be Vincent's friend. Probably wouldn't be too close to him by the time this was over, but maybe that was a good thing?

"So, the Commissioner brought you here?" Shalua asked, once more looking at me. I nodded and said, "Yup."

Okay, we were talking a little at a time.

"So…yeah," I said, shrugging as I leaned my back lightly against a wall. "Me and Kone-sama got into an argument, and I haven't seen him since last night."

"I'm sure he'll get over it eventually," Shalua stated in a tone that sounded like she was talking to a child, "Even friends fight once in a…oh, look who's awake!"

I turned my head so quickly my neck hurt, a grin spreading across my face, replacing the frown that had been there before.

Sure enough, I saw Vincent blinking oddly as he turned his head.

"Hey," I said, still smiling as I walked over to the tank. Vincent looked down at me, then at Shalua and back to me.

"Just a moment," Shalua assured him, standing up to walk over to another computer, "I'll release you." I moved back as the tank began to drain, and Vincent's feet touched the bottom a moment later. Another moment later, and the glass door to the tank was sliding open, and Vincent stepped out, dripping wet.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," I said with a small smile. "Morning."

"Where am I?" he asked, looking at Shalua.

"Safe inside the WRO headquarters. I carried you back here after your fight with Deepground." Shalua began to walk, not near us or away from us, but more like…pacing in thought. "It looks like…the beast inside you went a little wild back there."

"Beast…" Vincent repeated, and I still felt my smile on my face. It was good to hear Vincent's voice again. "Do you mean…Chaos?"

"Chaos?!"

And down goes the smile.

"Your body harbors the Chaos Gene?!" Shalua gasped, and I glared. She paused before saying, "Oh, so _that_ explains your relationship with Dr. Crescent! Were you the product of one of her experiments?"

"That's not nice!" I blurted, "How could you say something like that?"

I mean, really—how many of you guys got angry while you were playing that?

"Victoria," Vincent said somewhat sternly, "It's fine." I turned and stared at him, and opened my mouth to protest.

"No, no," Shalua cut in, "It's not. That's not what I meant, I apologize."

"Me too," I said, thankful for an excuse to look away from Vincent before he could glare me right into a panic attack. "Sorry…I'm not much for experiments, and…forget it, I'm just gonna go before I start rambling about something totally off-subject."

"Victoria?" I jumped again as Vincent stopped me with nothing but his voice. As much as I _didn't_ want to look back into the unnerving red eyes, I was raised so that I felt it was polite to make eye contact with who you're speaking to.

"What?" I asked, hitting an almost whiny note.

"Hmph. You're fine after all," he said, shaking his head slightly.

"Five words huh," I said, grinning again. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. I'm glad you made it back okay. You worried me, you jerkwad. But really--" I looked away. "—I'm gonna find Kone-sama."

**Another chapter DOWN!! Thanks again!**


	7. Derik

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Seven: Derik is Derik**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, Vincent, Cloud, and Sephiroth would constantly be chased by rabid fangirls.**

**The first two chapters of this SUCK, I know. Thanks for giving me a chance and reading this anyway.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers and those of you who continue to read this!**

**Just out of curiosity, how many of you kept reading after the first two cruddy chapters just because you had nothing else to do? XD**

**Oh, and I reposted the chapter before this one, taking some advice from one of my favorite reviewers…which is all of you!**

**Also found scripts thanks to ChibiOkami06, Simsie92 and crystalfeathers. You all rock my socks. ****All**** of you, not just the three I named. =)**

"God, Tory, maybe we just both needed some rest…" Kone-sama sighed before tearing some bacon apart with his teeth, "But I still think you were losing it for nothing."

"Doesn't it _bother _you, though?" I questioned somewhat angrily, though much more calmly than the night before. "Where we are, what we've been forced to do…" I paused. "What we're _going_ to do?"

"Killing?" he asked, "I haven't seen faces; I don't see any human emotion beneath the helmets, Tory." I bit my lip, worrying at it before releasing it and taking a sip from my orange juice. I felt my chest twist, again, with the thought of taking another life—but Kone-sama _did _have a point. "Don't take this badly, Tory, but you need to accept this."

I shook my head. "It's not fair," I whispered, "It's not…Kone-sama, it was so easy before." And it had been—in RPs, and those silly little Mary Sue fan fictions I had read and wrote in my spare time…With Kone-sama, it had all seemed so much more realistic, but at that point…

It _was_ _**real**_.

"Just keep your voice down," Kone-sama said, nodding slightly as he made his point. Glancing around, I noticed that there were still a few troops remaining in the cafeteria.

"I know," I stated. "Anyways, uh…" I sighed, and shakily raised my scrambled egg-covered fork to my mouth, zipping through my thoughts for something to change the subject. "Vincent's okay."

"Okay."

"Know what's on our agenda today?"

"Not particularly, no."

I smiled weakly, muttering, "I think you'll meet Shelke today…"

_Come to think of it…everything happens pretty close together in Dirge of Cerberus._

"Great," he sighed. I didn't think that he liked Dirge too much to begin with; he preferred G.U., and gorier games.

"About a week. Then, I think we can go home."

_Pfft! As __**if.**_

_I'll live._

_No, you won't._

_Shut up._

_Why don't you?_

_If I shut up, will you?_

_No, because deep within your thought process, you'll keep downing yourself._

"Tor?"

"Yeah?" I almost gasped, jerking my head upward to meet Kone-sama's light blue gaze.

"Just checkin' t'see if you were still there," he stated. I nodded, a smile cracking on my lips.

And then, just as the hole in my chest filled, it opened back up with an alarm.

"Kone-sama!!" I shouted, hearing screams as people fled from the cafeteria to prepare for battle. We scrambled away from the tables and out the door.

I hadn't kept my staff with me—why, oh why didn't I keep it with me? Back to my room, back to my room, back to my room, room, room…

"_Vincent, the enemy has breached the main gate! Hurry!"_

"With WHAT?!" I screeched over the mayhem already brewing, though to nobody in particular.

_Which Nobody? Heheheheheheh…_

I was taunting myself again; great. Ignore, Tory, ignore it.

"Go!!" I snapped, lightly shoving at Kone-sama's shoulder. "I'll catch up." Ignoring my not-so-helpful thoughts telling me to give it up—that I'd never make it in time to help—I ran toward the hallways where the rooms were. _Please, Shalua, don't lock that one yet. Don't lock it. Please._

Adrenaline and panic clicked my brain into autopilot, and I almost hadn't realized it when I was turned back around, metal staff in hand. Woo!

"Tory, this way!" Kone-sama called, and I ran through one of the many large doorways to follow along, relieved.

_Told ya so._

_You're talking to yourself again._

"Vincent," I greeted, wincing as he shot down some nearby DG Soldiers.

"You're following me," he said, and I winced again.

"I am," I replied somewhat frightened of his opinions on that.

"She's madly in love with you and I'm along to watch," Kone-sama stated, firing off a pair of guns in unison, more troops following me.

I think, past the collar of his mantle, Vincent smirked.

"I am not!!" I screamed, both infuriated and embarrassed at the same time, "I'm along to help him because I just care!"

_Despite how sexy Vincent is, I don't love him that way._

_Oh, oh, oh, sexy vampire, I'm falling in love, so just------_

"You should help the others," Vincent suggested, moving on. Hesitantly, I followed—Kone-sama behind me, probably sniggering.

"But last time I left, you passed out in a battle," I protested. Vincent stopped.

"And you think your presence would've changed that?"

"Just sayin', Vincent." I was shaking, but I moved right along until I was at his side. He was raising an eyebrow at me, almost hiding it completely under the red band across his forehead. I looked away almost frantically. "Look, I'm worried. I wanna come with you, and Kone-sama's one of my best friends."

"…Fine. Just--"

"Stay out of the way, right?" I finished for him as he had begun to move, "I know, Vincent, I know…" Kira, it hurt when he said that—I'll say again that I didn't LOVE Vincent, but I was both honestly seeking a good friendship with my favorite character while trying not to fangirl over him. The "Bad Boy Phase," as I think of it (c'mon girls you know what I'm talking about, we all go through it), had struck me hard.

The next thing to strike me that hard was the realization that Kone-sama was now next to me, and yet I still felt eyes on the back of my head.

"Don't move."

We all froze. Vincent was the first to move, seeing that Shalua's gun was pointed off to her left just a bit more than the three of us were standing. I followed, my heart hammering at my ribcage the whole three or four steps, and I subconsciously grabbed Kone-sama's hand and pulled. And, to my own surprise and confusion, a girl stepped forward when she hadn't been there behind me even though…she had.

_Huh? Oh, look, SHELKE!!!!!_

And I promptly squeaked and got a funny look from Kone-sama.

"Very perceptive of you," Shelke said, stepping away from us.

"I _knew_ it," Shalua gasped, and I could see the tears already shining in her eyes.

"I have no acquaintances in the WRO," the Munchkin of Doom stated.

"We've…both changed so much…No, you haven't…haven't changed at all…not in…ten years…" I heard Shelke draw a breath, and resisted the urge to look at her face. "Shelke! It's me, _Shalua! _I've…I've been…searching, for _you_…for…so long…" Shalua had made the mistake of advancing, and the next moment, Shelke had drawn her sabres (they're spelled like this; I promise I'm not crazy) and had one pointed at Shalua.

"Don't take another step."

"Shelke?"

"The Transparent," I said, and I felt more than saw Shalua's eyes on me. "She's a Tsviet."

"Shelke--?!" Shalua tried again, but Shelke shook her head quickly.

"It doesn't matter who I am or who you are. My current mission as a Deepground soldier is all that is relevant."

"No!" Shalua protested, and I began to feel extremely out of place. "It _does_ matter! Even though ten years have passed—you're still Shelke! My only sister!"

"Indeed," Kone-sama said to Shelke, and I raised an eyebrow. "Looks like…those bastards fucked you up pretty bad, but family's still family."

"Put it down," I muttered, stepping forward with my staff outstretched, tapping Shelke's wrist. "No need to fight." Catching an almost violent glare from Shelke as she lowered her EM Sabre the rest of the way, I pulled my staff back, loosening my grip while doing so, so that my hand was almost at the end before I flopped it over my shoulder.

"Ten years…has it been that long?" Shelke asked quietly, her gaze fixed now on the ground. "The day they came to take me away I was told I had potential…" Shelke paused, and I took a small step toward Kone-sama. "But those words were nothing but a precursor to a decade of suffering."

I watched Shalua's eyes widen. How come Shelke was able to say everything so calmly?

"They manipulated my mind, until I was a shadow of my former self. The pain…the fear…for ten years, I lived in a hell far deeper--" Again, the girl paused, but this time, she _glared_ at Shalua. "---than _any_ you could imagine…But…look at me—I should be nineteen this year. If I don't receive my daily dose of mako, this body wouldn't last a day."

_Mnn, that sucks._

"However, I don't consider myself the least bit unfortunate. Except that, for so long, I held onto a foolish thread of hope: that _someday, someone_ would come and save me." Venom was dripping from Shelke's words, and Shalua snapped, dropping onto her knees.

"I'm sorry, Shelke…I'm so sorry!!" She sobbed into her hands.

"No matter; it's time to put the past behind us--"

"Hey!" Someone screamed, a sort of _whoosh_ sound following.

…

Oh.

That was _me_. The _whoosh_ sound that followed, as I realized, was the sound of me swinging the staff from my shoulder at Shelke. I saw her now-glowing-orange eyes switch from her older sister to my staff, and she jolted to the right at a speed I couldn't follow. With a clang, the metal end of the staff collided with the ground, sending near-painful vibrations up my arms.

"Agh!" I gasped, nearly dropping it. "You little--"

"Stop this!" Reeve shouted, somehow finding his way into the room without any of us noticing.

"Reeve Tuesti," Shelke acknowledged, and I felt my stomach twist.

_No one knows how old I am. That looked really bad on my part._

"So, you are Shalua's younger sister."

"Excellent. Now I can terminate you both at one--"

"_Look at her,_" Reeve snapped, motioning to Shalua with a small nod of his head, "That's the price Shalua paid fighting Shinra for the past ten years. She has given more than her arm, more than her eye. She has put her life on the line time and time again. All to find her lost sister. More than half her organs have been reconstructed. Not a day goes by when Shalua doesn't suffer the pain of a hundred souls. But still, she..."

"Enough," Shelke stopped him, pointing her Sabre at him one more time, "I've…I've heard en--"

"Not enough, if you still wanna fight your own sister," Kone-sama barked.

I shrank back, eyes widening. That was loud—he didn't get _that_ loud when we argued. "Kone-sama?"

"You _don't talk to family_ that way!"

I nodded, hesitantly, but I did. "Look—Shelke, right? Weird name—You shouldn't have given up hope like that, Shalua was looking for you—she said so!"

"She didn't look hard enough because she didn't care enough."

I snapped.

"Okay, I'm sick of this!!"

"Shelke!!" Shalua screamed, watching in an odd type of horror as I swung my staff—again—at her younger sister.

Everything was fuzzy; my staff had gone flying from my hands when Shelke had deflected it, and I was on the ground. The air had been knocked from my lungs, and I was gasping for air.

"That was unwise," Shelke said as she readied her twin weapons at me. At that time, I was nearly overwhelmed by the fear of death…what would happen if I died there?!

But the next moment, I saw red and heard a soft gasp that was following a popping sound, then another. Vincent. Again.

Vincent had saved me again. Vincent had shot Shelke with those weird sedation bullets—I realized this when I saw Shelke fall to the right, unconscious. "Shelke!" Shalua shouted, running past me as I sat up. I rolled my shoulders, wincing as shots of pain hit. Vincent didn't even look at me to see if I was okay! He just…followed Reeve!

…Jerkwad.

"Tory?" I noticed Kone-sama holding out my staff to me, and I pulled myself to my feet with it.

"Thanks, Kone-sama," I said, immediately making a move to follow Vincent, who I was angry at. Game character and ex-Turk or not, he needed to be nicer. "Vinny!!!" I almost stopped upon saying it, as he faltered in his own step—glancing over his shoulder at me.

"I'm not protecting you," Kone-sama said as he backed up away from me, hands in the air defensively. When I looked at Vincent again, expecting some sort of anger, I saw only…

Absolutely nothing.

Well, I could see _something,_ but with Vincent Valentine, I could almost never tell.

"Are you coming, or will you have trouble walking?" Vincent practically demanded, and I detected that "hurry up" note from Kalm in his voice.

"I'm fine," I chirped, a grin instantly showing itself on my face, and my buddy released his own grip, which had helped in stopping me moments earlier. "Hurry, Kone-sama!"

Kone-sama passed me easily, though he slowed down so I could keep up. The weight of my staff—it was still together, not even scratched from Shelke's Sabres—slowed me down further. But I knew I would never be left alone, because even if Vincent left me behind, Kone-sama wouldn't.

"Tor?" he said as we rounded a corner. "Call me Derik here, kay?"

I blinked at him, took a breath and asked, "why?" while I kept running alongside him.

"Because this isn't a game. We're not Kone and Crystal, we're Derik and Tory," he said, and I watched as he continued to run at an easy-to-follow pace. "We're here now, and we're _us_."

I nodded, pretending it didn't affect me. But it did.

Kone-sama was Kone-sama;

Derik was Derik.

Yeah.

This wasn't his online persona, it was _him_.

_I'm me._

I'm going to die.

"Hurry, Tor, we're losin' 'em."

"Yeah," I responded, forcing my legs to make me run faster.

When we caught up—just as we did—I tripped, fell flat on my face. I had tripped over a piece of debris.

"Ow!" I shouted. I didn't hear my own voice, a much larger sound that made the ground rumble crashed violently behind me, and I was rapidly being dragged to my feet by Derik while he once again placed my staff into my hand.

"We meet again…"

"Crap," I hissed, staring at the nine-foot-form of Azul. "Crap, crap, crap…"

"Fuck," Derik swore for me.

We moved behind Vincent.

"Answer me this," Azul said in a voice I knew was almost quiet for him, though it was a deep, vile rumble that made me literally shake in fear—Kone-sama—_No, Derik—_wasn't hiding it either, eyes wide in a state of panic. "Do you know why you even _exist_?" Vincent glanced down at himself, and then stared up at Azul, who had no interest in me and Derik. "Just as I thought," Azul spoke with a smirk on his face, making him seem even more frightening, "Ignorant to your own destiny. Very well. I'll show you what you truly are--"

Cerberus was drawn, firing immediately at Azul, a familiar sound crackling as the bullets hit Azul's barrier field.

"Dammit," Derik muttered softly, firing off his own two guns after drawing them. I ducked behind him, flinching visibly at the gunshots.

"You think those _toys_ can penetrate _my_ armor? Enough of the games, Vincent, give my the Protomateria!"

The ground shook as Azul stomped forward.

"Vincent, Tory, Derik!" Reeve called. "Over--"

"RUN!!!" I screamed, bolting in the direction Reeve was calling from. Yeah, now that I think about it, I looked really silly, but nobody in that world ever thinks about the silly comical stuff in battle.

Vincent was still firing for a moment, Derik was next to me and passing, and I was running as quickly as I could, my life, for once, actually depending on the speed I didn't have. My lungs burned from running so much, like, again, in Kalm.

Things seemed to slow down in mid-step for me, and I heard an audible _click_ echo within my head before my foot hit the ground and I was running again, leaving me with the stupid feeling of, _"Did I just imagine that?"_

"You may think…this is over…but…"

_Thud._

Azul was dead. He _had_ to be dead.

I was looking at him after he had toppled over, not even having finished his sentence. So, guessing, I finished for him. "It is only the beginning?"

"Way to be, _God_," Derik muttered before glaring at the sexy vampire look-alike, "Vincent! We're not stalking you just so you can play lone wolf!"

After doing the end-battle-flippy-thing with Cerberus, Vincent looked back to Kone-sama—I shook my head at my mistake again—Derik and then at me.

"You stayed out of the way for once," he acknowledged, red eyes immobilizing me, "You're not hurt badly. Stay here."

"Wh…Whhhhhy?" I stammered, managing to swallow despite the dryness in my throat. "I can still help…You just need to tell me what to do, I'm not useless!"

"Victoria, for the last time, I don't want you in the way."

"Ohhh…God…" Derik groaned, stepping back and away from the two of us.

"Please, Vincent, I wanna help you…I promise I'll be quiet! I won't get hurt! Even if I do, it'll be my own fault, not yours!! Take me with you, please, please, please--"

"No."

My chest hurt, and my eyes stung. Just that single, that one, tiny, single-syllable, two-letter word…it hurt so much, and it hit me right in the chest.

"Why?" I demanded, stomping. Ouch, bad idea.

"You don't even know where I'm going."

"So? Tell me then," I pleaded, my voice pitch heightening pathetically.

"No."

"I'll follow you anyways," I stated, blinking away tears. "I don't care what you have to say about it, Vincent Valentine!"


	8. Silly Words

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Eight: Confuzz and Nyurg**

**Disclaimer: I don't own diddly-squat, and I never will. Well, I dunno. If FF7 is suddenly flooded by canon stupidity and gay guys, you'll know I own it. Then again, Genesis is pretty…umm…never mind.**

**A/N: Nothing really to say, except for I want a PSP really badly. PS2 then PSP. But in the meantime, Oniichan's lending my his PS2 because he has a PS3 which allows him to play Resident Evil 5.**

**I almost gave this chapter a serious name instead of that ridiculous one.**

Although I was standing there, looking angry, Vincent's icy cold gaze locked with my own was rapidly breaking down all my mental defenses. My lip quivered, and my vision blurred for a moment before a tear streaked down my cheek. I hadn't thought about it then, but I must have looked hideous—I'm _not_ a pretty crier.

My heart sank low as I felt the air to my right swish, Vincent walking past me without so much as a glance.

"Come on." I could hardly believe it when I heard Vincent's voice.

At some point I had drawn my arms up to my chest, and lowered my head, which snapped around to stare at the back of Vincent's head.

"Wait, where are you--" Reeve began, glancing from his friend to us.

"Nibelheim," Vincent said. "Apparently I'm not going anywhere without these two tagging along."

"Stalking you," Derik corrected. I sniveled, wiping my face on the back of my hand.

"No, it woul—wouldn't be stalking if he kn-knew it was uh-us--" I protested, but my comment went basically unnoticed.

"Nibelheim," Reeve whispered, eyes widening, "Shinra Manor…But that is where…" He nodded. "Understood. However, be on your guard. We have reports of Deepground units deployed in that area. If you wish to enter the manor in one piece, I suggest you use the sewer system extending from the old mako reactor."

"Sewer…How appropriate is _that_?"

"And, might I suggest--" Reeve had noticed the three of us getting ready to turn around, "That Tory carries a gun and some healing supplies?"

"Figures," I snorted, but I smiled. At least I could be useful somehow. "Tory the Walking Potion." (TM) "I can live with that…but why the gun?"

"For safety reasons, of course," Reeve said, putting his hands up defensively, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm touched, no sarcasm," I admitted when I got an odd look for blushing, "Thank you." It felt good, to be worried about, even though I hadn't known Reeve that long. _Well,_ I thought, _I've known him longer than he's known me._

"Woo," Derik…woo-ed, doing a little victory dance before shoving me towards Reeve. "Go get the damn supplies already; I wanna kick some Deepground ass!" I burst into a fit of laughter, and I felt…lighter. That was the Derik I had known for a few years. That was the goofy, joking, happy Derik.

The WRO base was kinda close to Mt. Nibel. Otherwise I would have handed Kone-sama—_Derik, Tory, Derik—_the bag of supplies and run right back into the base, probably glomping Reeve and crying.

"Those mountains really _are_ pointy," I whispered over to Derik as we walked forward.

"Indeed they are," he agreed in a tone that I perceived as "airy" as we continued to follow behind Vincent. And, just for the record, Vincent looks different in the sunlight. "You know, I really don't recall me agreeing to carrying this for you." He waved my staff, and I shrugged, giggling and smiling.

"I handed it over to you and asked you to hang onto it for a minute." I shifted the strap on my shoulder, then pointed down at the gun now strapped to my leg. "When I was fixing that up. I just started walking, and you followed. Sorry, I can take it now."

"Nah, I don't mind."

"You sure?"

"Indeed."

"Okay," I said quietly, feeling a bit guilty. Derik was really nice, always helping out when he could…I felt like I was taking advantage of him. "But, no, really, I can take it."

"Nnnnno!" He responded, pulling my weapon of choice (as well as the first one I had been given in Gaia) from my reach. "I will DO IT!!! Go do something productive."

"I'm walking, and that's productive!"

"You're stopped now!"

Again, he won the argument by bashing my skull with my own staff. You can't win arguments of any type with Derik. He's smart, he's just…Derik. It's impossible. Well, it's just improbable.

It happened again at the base of the mountain we were to climb. We were all walking, but suddenly everything slowed down around me, and the _click_ seemed even more audible this time. When my foot reconnected with the ground, I whispered, "Derik?"

"Hmm?" he replied, still walking.

"Did you hear something?"

"No."

_It has to be my imagination, then._

"Creatures with malicious intent probably still dwell here," Vincent warned, "Don't let you guard down."

"…Kay…hey, Vincent?" I called, rushing forward to walk at his side. "How come you know this mountain so well?"

"I never said I did," he stated. I pouted.

"Well you sure seem like it," I countered as best as I could, "So there's a reactor up there, and we're using a sewer system to get to a mansion?" Hmm, the sewer level…I'd dared to think about it a couple times already. It wasn't…THAT bad, and all that was down there as far as enemies was a bunch of Sahagins… "Ack…"

"I won't complain if you head back, Tor," Derik said, glancing over his shoulder. I could barely see any of the main facility now from where I was.

"Not interested," I sighed, "I made myself look stupid, and I have to redeem myself."

"When did you manage that?"

"Crying…earlier, ya know?" I felt heat radiating from my face as I shifted the weight of the bag again. I deliberately lowered my voice and whispered, "Vincent hates me, and if he doesn't now he's probably going to."

Derik snorted and rolled his eyes. "He doesn't hate you! Do you, Vincent?"

"Hm?" Vincent halted his movements and turned his head to Derik. "Keep your voice down, Derik. What is it?"

"Tory thinks you hate--"

"Derik!!" I whined softly, blushing even more.

"—her, but you don't do you?"

"You do, don't bother lying, you won't hurt my feelings," I muttered as I forced my legs to get going faster, rushing past Vincent.

"Quit jumping to conclusions, Tory!" Derik called, "Oh hey what the FUCK?!"

I heard a loud clanking noise, and Vincent and I both turned around to see…

"How the heck did you break it?!" I shouted, running back and lifting the end of the staff that had…disconnected? A chain ran together from the ends.

"Oh, sweet, there's a button right here." Derik pointed out a well-hidden button near the middle of the staff. So _that's_ how you got it to separate! (I'd been trying to pull it and twist apart.)

"Derik? I love you, you know that, but you're a Doink," I sighed, and was punished for my comment by Derik hitting the button again, causing the chain to pull back violently and jerk my half of the staff away. My heart beat so fast it hurt!

I heard a sigh as Derik and I began to bicker, and we both looked to Vincent, who now had his arms crossed over his chest. I dubbed that look he gave us "impatient" and we shut up immediately, hurrying silently behind Vincent.

Nothing bothered us up the mountain, but that didn't mean we weren't being followed.

"Eww…" I whined, holding back the powerful urge to gag as we waded through the ick and sludge. "Oh eww, oh KIRA this is ICKY Derik!!"

"Kira?" Vincent questioned, turning his red eyes on me. How the heck was he so unaffected?!

"It's an inside joke," Derik dismissed it, "She doesn't like saying 'oh my God'."

"Yeah, it's funny," I stated, grimacing, "I'll explain later…" I hopped up onto the nearest outta-sludge place I could. Suddenly, I heard a familiar screech-type sound, and then gunshots, and then…

My heart was pounding at the sight of the dead Sahagin.

"Looks like we're not alone here…" Vincent said.

_Obviously._ I turned my head to thank Vincent, but was almost thrown into shock upon seeing Derik slowly lowering his gun.

"…Thanks, Derik…" I muttered, and Vincent nodded approvingly at him. I fidgeted with my staff, which Derik had handed back to me a while before.

"When we go back, I'm so taking a bath," Derik muttered, and I sniggered. "What?! You're going to too aren't you?!" Our eyes widened as Derik's voice echoed through the sewer walls (I apologize for a lack of a better word, my vocabulary isn't too great). Vincent turned his head and shot us both The Look.

"Eek!!!" I squealed, squeaked, or eeped as more of those Sahagin things came charging at us.

…Okay…All three of us got stabbed and zapped by the trident-weapon-things that the Sahagins had, but we all lived. My hair looked horrible, Derik had curly spikes, and Vincent was…

Fine.

Sexy, actually, considering he was dripping with SEWER SLUDGE!!

"You and your perfect effing hair," I muttered, not daring to smooth down my hair for obvious reasons.

"Excuse me?" Vincent responded in a…Vincent-ly way, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Why don't you ever get the crap kicked out of you?!"

"Why did you come if you're only going to complain?"

"I asked you a question first."

"Hmph."

"Derik!!" I whined, pouting at my friend for help.

"You say somethin'?" Derik asked, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

_Are you serious, Kone-sama?_

_**Derik.**_

When he didn't respond to my unspoken question, we all started walking again.

It was the most sickening hour and a half of my life.

"Dear Kira, no…" I whimpered, staring up from the bottom of the ladder, up into the darkness until I could see no more. "I'll never make it…"

"Didn't Vincent already have a talk to you about complaining?" Derik chuckled, kicking hit toe down onto the cement beneath us, some…"ick"…loosening and falling off.

"So?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes. "I'M carrying the supplies, and I'VE got my staff to carry!"

He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. I gave him my staff and pouted.

"Thank you Derik."

"You're very welcome, Miss Victoria."

"You go after Vince," Derik instructed, and I blinked, flushing.

"Excuse me?"

"After Vince."

"Between you guys? Agh!!" I turned around and his my head against the wall; that hadn't sounded good. "If I slip and fall--"

"You'll hit me, and I'll catch you." Derik smiled—those smiles were rarer now, and my own were as well.

"But I might just knock you down too…" I argued, shaking my head.

"Have some faith in me…God, Tor, I won't let you fall," Derik sighed while gesturing to the metal ladder. Vincent went up, and I took a moment to kick off my boots thoroughly.

As I stepped up to the ladder, I turned my head, not quite making eye contact with my only real friend here. "I'm…counting on you…to save me, 'kay?"

"Mm-hmm, hurry up," he said.

_Seventy-four, seventy-five…_

I counted the steps up the ladders we took—I didn't remember it being this long in the game, though I dared not look up, because Vincent was above me. And, you know, as corrupted as I had been by all my friends, I was still shy and modest, and preferred not to stare at Vincent's ass. Even if it was in kinda tight leather, I just wasn't like that. I was NOT Yuffie. I bit back a giggle.

"See something interesting?"

"No!!" I immediately snapped, looking over my shoulder at Derik. I gasped and jolted as something tickled my cheek, my heart racing I nearly let go of the ladder. I realized it was Vincent's cape.

"Quiet," he said, and then I noticed the light we were nearing. I could hear the faint sound of voices.

And I felt awkward as we slowed, now almost silently as we ascended.

"—_the hell are we stuck here on duty? He's not coming." _It was a guy's voice.

"_Quit complaining! You should be proud to have been able to leave that Godforsaken place!" _A woman snapped.

"_Oh, will you two quit fighting?" _That woman laughed. _"It's just one guy," _she said. Wrong. _"We can take--"_

Instead of climbing up the last twelve feet, Vincent launched himself, and cries of "he's here" and just plain screams pierced my ears as I shot up the ladder, my foot slipping once or twice.

"Damnit! He's got backup!" A man shouted, immediately aiming his gun at me. I would have laughed if I had known how to get the safety on my gun off right away. As I fumbled stupidly with my gun, a bullet pierced my shoulder, and I screeched—my gun hit the ground--the soldier's cry of pain following my own as a well-aimed bullet caught his own shoulder.

"Don't fuck with her!" Another pierced his helmet as I fell to my knees, covering my wound with my hand. More bullets hit the soldier, over and over again until he was on the ground and dead, and then he kept shooting him…

But I was too busy crying, hurting, to notice.

_Oh God oh God oh God it hurts… _I might have said it out loud, I might not have, but it hurt. Badly.

_Click._

Adrenaline. It was like a button was being pushed, but the pain had dulled, and my eyes had opened. I reached for my gun with my left arm, shakily grabbing hold of it as I managed to stumble to my feet at the same time.

There were guys standing near the edge of the level above us, and I fired. Two of seven shots hit; I'm right handed and in pain and crying…

And mad. I was very, very, uber mad. I know what happened didn't last long; it went by in a blur…There was suddenly a moment where I had my gun close to a man's head, and he was backed against the wall. He had his head turned slightly, and I could imagine his eyes squeezed shut. And I'll tell you this now: it hurt. It hurt to see the man so afraid like that—if he knew I was just a little girl, that I was only _just_ half a year into being a teenager, he probably would have retaliated. My hand was shaking.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, my eyes filling with tears as I pulled the trigger.

I was out of ammo. If I were at home, I would have laughed. But suddenly, I was on my back, crying due to a sharp pain on my skull, and my vision blurred with some sort of green light…it was oddly comforting, but things were too fuzzy to focus on.

_Click, click, click…_

…_Subject A, positive response to…_

_Told you so, bitch._

_Shut up, you foul-mouthed brat!_

"What the hell…?" I groaned, and I was immediately rewarded with a familiar chuckle.

"Anyone asks, I didn't teach you that, got it?"

I squinted, feeling something sliding up the bridge of my nose, and near my ears. My glasses were being put back on. I peeked under my eyelids, noticing the blonde nearby, and the sexy man I was currently following around. He was standing, but Derik was sitting right next to me.

"…what happened…?" I croaked, almost blushing at the pathetic sound.

"Ya got smacked with the dude's gun, fell over and passed out. You okay?" Derik poked, his eyes concerned though his lips cracked a slight smile. I nodded, wincing to prepare myself for the expected pain, and surprising myself when there was none.

"Did one of you manage to get…a…potion down my throat…after I pa…passed out?"

"Nnnnnnnnnnnnope." Derik drew out the N for emphasis, smirking wider. I narrowed my eyes, horror striking.

"YOU AMPUTATED MY---" a glove hand—Derik's—clamped over my arm as he rapidly shook his head. I twitched my right hand; it was still there.

"You healed yourself."

Again, I blinked, and I felt dizzy as I looked at Vincent in shock. He repeated it when I asked him to, and my stomach twisted despite the odd delight I felt.

"How?" I asked, smiling weakly.

"Umm…ahhhhhhhhI dunno." Derik showed an exaggerated look of ignorance, though I saw the hint of "I know what it is but not how" in his eyes, and in his expression.

"Are you…an Ancient?" Vincent questioned, leaning against a wall as he looked at me. I can't quite describe the…curious/suspicious look he had, so I shook my head.

"No! I'm not. I'm just me." I quickly rambled, daring to sit up. "Nyurg…" It didn't hurt; it just…strained at my muscles. "That's effing awesome…" I giggled, shaking my head. "But I'm not supposed to be able to do that…I is conFUZZED."

"Can you get up?" Vincent then asked, and I flopped down, distress flapping.

"Nyuuuuuuuurg…Dewwwikk, hewp meeee…"

We were in an elevator shortly after, and Derik and Vincent were being all cool and badass while I sat on the floor and hummed Yuffie's theme before moving on to Sephiroth's. I felt silly and giggled, but had fought a bit so it had worn down. A lot.

**Confuzzed—Obviously it means confused.**

**Nyurg—I dunno, I started saying it at some point when I am straining myself physically.**

**Kone—Co-NAY. I'm sorry for not telling everyone earlier, but that's what it is.**

**But there ya go. ^w^ I glove you all, take care!! Now, I've gotta run before Yuffie kills me for the "no pairings" thing…x**

**BTW, LONGEST CHAPTER YET!!**


	9. Potions, Nekos and Vampires

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Nine: The Walking Potion, the Emo Neko and the Vampire**

**Disclaimer: I own only my psycho OCs that pop up in dreams.**

**A/N: Wow, here I go, chapter nine! Five more chapters to go and I'll be further than I was in my original fic! Hm. I'm having more fun writing this than I did last time!**

**By the way, I promise we'll only be Mary Sues and Gary Stus when we go into Limit Break, but the others could still whoop our butts good. T^T Please don't loose hope…**

"Hey, Vincent?" I said after a minute of complete silence (aside from the humming of the elevator).

"Hm?" I opened my mouth for a moment, and paused. I felt silly. It was a stupid question. "What is it?"

Daring to look up at his eyes—Kira, they were unnerving—I asked, "Do you hate me?" He closed his eyes and shook his head for a moment. I bit my lip, trying not to smile in relief. "But I _do_ annoy you every now and then, right?"

"You do," he agreed, looking straight ahead instead of down at me—not that I minded too much. "But then again, you haven't driven me nearly insane quite yet."

Ah, I knew what he was getting at.

"I told you he doesn't hate you!" Derik sighed, throwing his arms up.

Choosing to ignore him, I looked at Vincent and _then_ asked, "Do you…have a friend who drives you mad on a halfway regular basis?"

"I haven't seen her for about a year, but yeah."

"What's her name?"

"Why are you interrogating me?" Vincent asked, red eyes locking onto mine before I looked away. Ouch.

"I'm not interrogating you, I'm just curious." I shrugged, blushing. "Aaand…you can ask me anything you want after this. That way we can get to know each other better…and…yeah."

"Her name's Yuffie."

I smiled.

"Okay," I said with a nod. "So you can ask me anything you want."

Vincent looked to the front of the elevator—it was taking forever to get into the main mansion!! "I'll get back to you on that."

_Ding._

I gasped as the old elevator stopped with a jolt, using my staff to get myself to my feet afterwards.

"Woo," Derik said as he followed Vincent out. I followed Derik, and was instantly aware of the dusty, old air filling the mansion.

"Whoa," I gasped, wrinkling my nose, "I'm SO glad I don't have the same allergies as Beth!"

"I am SO glad she decided not to come," Derik added with a nod. He seemed less affected by it. I quickly noticed the nearly curious glance Vincent gave us.

"My big sister," I said, smiling fondly at the mere memory of her. I missed her. I was going through Bethie withdrawal. "She's allergic to _everything!_ Well, not everything, of course, but a lot." Vincent nodded at me before opening a door. We went through another door, and I started remembering, and recognizing, where we were.

Derik stopped me abruptly as Vincent took another step, a hand firmly on my right shoulder. I nodded, glancing at a sphere rolling toward Vincent's golden-plated boots. He bent down to pick it up, and just as he straightened, it gave off a bright light. Derik—being the freak living in the basement at his house he is—practically hissed, while I just squinted.

I blinked, blinked, and blinked again before looking up…and my eyes widened at the sight of quite possibly the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail, dark brown eyes…

"Lucrecia!" Vincent gasped. Even from where I was, I knew how wide his eyes had gotten.

"Vincent, right?" Lucrecia said softly, a smile appearing on her face—it was not the type of smile that ticked me off, like the usual when I saw her. I wasn't angry; I just…I don't know what I felt; maybe I just blanked out my feelings or something. "Have you…come to check up on me?"

Vincent stepped closer to Lucrecia as she walked towards him, opening his arms. Right there, it felt like something was squeezing my heart to the painful point. He was expecting a hug.

Lucrecia walked right through him. He spun around, as did she, as she began to speak again.

"Omega," she said. "His awakening is upon us." I squinted again as the area we were in brightened to the point of whiteness, and then, when it faded, all we could see was Lucrecia, in a beautiful cave. "Soul wrought of terra corrupt--"

"_Quelling impurity, purging the stream," _I found myself mouthing it as she spoke, though…I felt distant, detached, like I wasn't really there.

"Behold the mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the loft heavens. I came across this passage while studying the scriptures of the Ancients. The chronicles of Yore." Lucrecia paused. "Omega. The end. Just as all other sentient beings, he, too, is born of the lifestream…"

When we were back in the room a minute later, I felt kinda dazed.

"I will leave a copy of my records here for you, Vincent. Though I cannot imagine what help they might be, if any at all. Just remember...I am so sorry."

The materia shattered in Vincent's grasp after the woman I had hated so much disappeared. "Lucrecia," he said softly, stepping forward before stopping.

I suddenly became aware of how loudly I was breathing, and how cold the room was. I watched as Vincent turned, eyes lowered to the floppy he had lifted from the table before raising to my own eyes.

My face, as usual when I spoke to Vincent, heated up rapidly. "I won't…We won't ask," I stated with a wave of my hands.

_Awwwwwkwaaaard~!_ The voice in my head sang, and I practically gasped.

_I thought you were gone,_ I snarled mentally.

_Just takin' a nap._

_Well, dammit! Quit taunting me!!!_

"You okay?" Derik asked, and I nodded.

"It's Da Voice," I explained with a shrug.

"Da Voice," he repeated.

"That taunting voice everyone has in the back of their head, ya know?" I giggled. Derik raised an eyebrow. "No? How about you, Vincent?" I managed to sound like I was joking as I looked back to him.

"I have four," he said, the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice. I knew he figured I wouldn't get it, but I ended up clapping a hand over my mouth in a desperate effort not to laugh, although I ended up cackling insanely while I tipped over. Derik used one hand to help muffle said cackling and one to help hold me up.

Most of the mansion was either creepy or boring, but one part in particular amazed me beyond all reason.

There we were, walking through a cave-like area, and we walked near a door that I knew immediately was the room of coffins. At first, I thought we were going past it. But suddenly, Vincent halted, turned, stalked toward the door with an angry look on his face and swung it open.

I almost missed it, too. But no, I hurried after him—both Derik and I.

I DG soldier jumped out of the coffin, and Vincent shot him in midair. The was a clunking sound as the poor dude hit the wall, and his sword dropped from his hand.

"That, my friend, was amazing."

"Whoa."

"What?" Vincent asked, coming out after replacing the coffin lid.

"Did you know he was in there?" I whispered, truly in awe. Vincent nodded, tilting his head and blinking.

"Enhanced hearing; I heard him breathing."

"Wuuuullllkay then!" I slurred, blinking.

"God dammit Miss Victoria, speak clearly!" Derik said as he bonked me on the head. I laughed. It felt nice. The air didn't seem so heavy anymore. "Donot slur, 'tis bad for you!"

"Hypocrite!" I giggled, batting as his hand with my staff.

"Both of you, there are still Deepground troops down here," Vincent said in a softer tone than he used to.

"We're sorry," we both said immediately—our first time speaking in unison. Vincent just shook his head and turned, doing the grab-the-cape thing before heading further in. Hmm…

_He's still really, really sexy._

_But…he's my fwiend…_

_So? Your first boyfriend was one of your friends. Fan girl after Vincent all ya want._

_I hate you,_ I pouted inwardly. Sexy as Vincent was, I wasn't even that interested in a relationship…my first wasn't great, we never talked…I talked to my mom, she said that he was probably my first love, but whatever. I was eleven. Before my mom said that that was too young to even KNOW what love was, and then…

I shook my head, lightly pressing the hidden button to separate my staff.

_Click, click, clickclickclickclick…_

I felt, heard, sensed the staff pieces falling from my hands before I brought them up to remove my glasses and rub at my eyes. "It's dark all of a sudden--" I said, curling a fist near my temple as something seemed to be stabbing into it. "Fffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu…dge…"

"Victoria?"

"Hey, Tor, you okay? H-hey, look at me!"

_Click, click, click, whhhiirrrrr…_

"_Subject A failing to respond, temporary removal necessary!"_

"_Subject B, no damage to the network detected."_

I cried out against a light, trying to shut my eyes only to realize that they already _were_ closed. Everything felt all fuzzy and numb, except for a few things on my face, and I tried to focus on what was ahead, but that looked blurry too…More of the familiar clicks, and then…I saw something lifting from above me, and I noticed three blurry forms.

"Dehk…?"

"Did she just say dick?" A guy's voice snorted.

"No, she said Derik—Subject A's awake and responding!" I tried to grimace at the loud girl's voice, but nothing happened.

"Shut up, shut up!" A harsh, male voice practically screamed from across the…room? Where the HELL was I? Panic washed over me and I tried to move—a no go. I looked down as best I could, noticing straps keeping me down within the pod-type thing.

"Hey, hey, relax," one of the girls near me said soothingly. She had her hand on my shoulder in an instant, and I squeaked. "It's okay, it's okay, we're good people."

"No!!" I screamed, "Where am I?! Where's Vincent? Let me go, I want out!" Almost none of the words came out sounding right, but the girl seemed to understand.

"Shh, Tory, it's okay, we're not here to hurt you. There was just a minor error in your personal network, and we needed to hurry up and get you out of there before it could damage--"

"Stop talking!!" I shouted, "Who are you, let me out, I want out, what did you do to me?!"

"Quit freaking, you're going to hurt yourself!" The guy close to me sighed, poking me none-too-gently in the forehead. I whimpered pathetically, and I knew I was crying.

"Adam, stop that right now!" the nice girl hissed, smacking his hand away. The girl in the middle back up, hands in the air.

"Hold still," the other girl grumbled, bending down. She was removing needles from my skin, disconnecting various things. "Move it, you two!"

Moments later, the harsher of the two girls had me sitting up with a glass pressing at my lips.

"Drink it," the nice one said, "It's just water, okay?"

So I drank without too much protest, my mind still reeling from confusion, but less panic. And then the guy named Adam was lifting me out of the pod, and setting me down on a table where another man was waiting by.

"Morning," he said somewhat casually, holding out his hand. He sounded different that he had when he had been yelling. I tilted my head and shook it. I didn't have my glasses on, so I could barely make out his spiky brown hair, and icy blue eyes. Spiky hair…he either gelled it, or I wasn't on Earth yet. "How ya doin', kid?"

"I'm…doing…" I replied, withdrawing my hand, "Where am I?" I was frightened and I felt trapped, to say the least. "Am I dead?"

"Nnnnope," he said, "How's your head?"

"It hurts…"

"Do you want something for it?"

I nodded.

"Emily, go get Subject A some Ibuprofen or something, I don't care!"

"Yes sir," the nice one practically sang, rushing past me. I realized she had long, platinum blonde hair…you could say it was silver. Oh.

My.

God. She looked like Crystal, but, like, older than in my dreams.

"Yo!"

"Huh?!" I squeaked, glancing quickly back to…the dude I was closest to. Suddenly I felt dizzy from the movement.

"Take it easy. You're in the dimension between Earth and Gaia. Eh, not really, you're just in an underground lab with connections to Gaia."

"Oh…" I nodded. Needless to say, I still felt sick, and though this was shocking, it…made sense. "Please go on…"

"You are Subject A, and your friend is Subject B. Subject C is part of Project II. Subjects D and E are over in project III. Any guesses what project you're in?"

"I?" Heck, it made sense to me.

"Yeah. Good guess, it means you're still functioning properly."

"Neh…that's new," I joked. Dude shook his head.

"Subject A?" Emily called, shuffling forward. She held out another glass of water and two pills. Got those down fast enough.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Anyways, back to business." The man snapped his fingers near my face, and I looked at him quickly. "Something got into your network, and we got rid of it nice and fast. So you're going to go back and keep playing Walking Potion with the Emo Neko and the Vampire."

"Hey--" I gasped as Adam grabbed my shoulder, then scooped me back up like I weighed nothing.

"It's okay, nothing bad will happen--"

"No! I don't want to go back in there!"

"You'll see your friends in a moment, just close your eyes," Emily said as Adam held me down. The other girl started hooking me back up to the machine, and I cried.

"I can die in there, can't I? What if someone kills me?!"

"That's why we made you a half-Cetra--"

"No! I'm—I'm I'mmmme…" The lid had closed, and everything was getting fuzzy again, and I was tired, and my thoughts were getting hard to understand…

Grass. Hmm…that wasn't right, was it?

"Tor-Tor, wake up."

Something prodded my side.

"Pooh?" I mumbled, looking up at my cousin as my eyes opened. I saw fine. I was five again?

"See, she's fine, she just tripped!" the chubby blonde said.

"Mama?" I said in surprise as I saw my mother hurrying over to me. I sounded, I felt…I was so little! "Mommy--"

"Mommy I had a bad dream…"

"What the hell?"

Oops.

My dearest Mommy did not have a deep rumbling voice and most certainly did not swear in front of young children.

I heard a muffled, snorting laugh.

I saw red, and I noticed the arm behind my shoulders holding me up as my head tilted into something warm. The red thing. It had buckles on it. My face got just as red as Vincent's cape, and I had a mental battle with myself, trying to decide whether to, A) snuggle closer to hide my face and savor the moment, B) shove myself the heck away, or, C) laugh and make some stupid comment and try to blow it off.

Shaking nervously, I planted my hands firmly on Vincent's shoulders, squeezed my eyes shut and got up, feet on the ground.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

I was still shaking as Derik jokingly teased me. I was _so_ embarrassed, and tears were welling up in my eyes, tears that neither of them saw as I almost-blindly bent down and grabbed my staff, my glasses and the bag—not in that order, of course—before continuing down the odd "hall".

I sniffed, my heart racing as I angrily wiped falling tears.

"Victoria." I hurried faster, shaking my head. The dreams, both of them, hitting me full force, but the second one blurring slightly and fading; I remembered only my mother's face. "Victoria!"

I could walk no further due to the gloved hand holding my shaking shoulder and hauling me around. Vincent's clawed gauntlet settled on the other shoulder, and I couldn't successfully hold back a sob.

"Tory, what the hell---" Derik began, sounding worried, but when I felt Vincent shifting, and saw it out of the corner of my eye, I knew he was glaring at him.

I didn't know what to do. Pull away, be okay, pull away, or stay…Vincent would feel awkward if I tried to hug him; if I tried to seek out comfort from him, he would pull back into a shell that was too dark for me to see him in…

I braced my free hand on his shoulder, pushing myself back…Nothing happened, I got nowhere.

"Victoria." That one word, my name, was a command and request to look up. I knew it was, but I still wouldn't.

"Mm-mm…" I whimpered, shaking my head with my eyes closed.

"What happened? Tory are you okay?" Derik was walking closer. I nodded so rapidly my neck popped, and I tried pushing away again.

Vincent's grip tightened for a moment, and it hurt, before he released me, and I fell backwards. He didn't catch me, and that hurt more that his grip on my shoulders had, because I had wanted him to catch me.

I couldn't make up my mind.

"Sorry," I whispered, watching a tear hit the ground before I managed to get up.

_Stupid kid, grow up and act defiant or something, stop acting like the bitchy scientist._

"Adam?" I gasped, clapping a hand over my mouth.

"Hm?" Vincent tilted his head at me…was that concern in his eyes?

_Yup, yup. Now MARCH, soldier!_ I blinked in confusion.

"L-let's go," I said weakly, "I'm sorry, I held us back for a minute there! I'm fine."

_Don't forget to smile,_ a feminine voice said, and I found myself attempting a smile at Vincent before I turned and, clumsily, began to run.

"What the fuck?" Derik hissed, easily striding past me.

"Come, Oh Great and Mighty Emo Neko," I said, smiling again to hide my confusion. "And Great and Mighty Vampire of Death Doom and Destruction!!"

I didn't want to see Vincent's face. But I needed to get over the tears as soon as I could.

**Okay, another chapter. The plot behind how I got there is beginning to unfold!**


	10. Red

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Ten: Red**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own FF7…*overdramatic sob***

**A/N: Wow, chapter ten! I'm impressed with myself! Thanks for reading, everyone!**

My chest hurt every time I thought about either of the two dreams. I had just embarrassed the crap out of myself and made Derik feel guilty at the same time—he had been apologizing between attacks from DG soldiers…a lot, which was making **me** feel bad. I wasn't mad. Just…I had called…Vincent Valentine…Mommy.

I sorta wished I had blown it off like my sister could've.

I missed Mom and Beth more than anyone else. My sister reigning above even my mother, because if I told Beth something like a secret, she'd never tell a soul. She had, and still has, my complete trust. But I do miss my mother.

Emily and Adam had agreed to leave me alone for a while, when I told them it was too hard to focus with two voices in my head.

I pressed myself against a pile of boxes, moving as quietly as I could, trying to sneak up on some soldiers—we'd split up for a moment, I knew this room had an Omega report.

_Pop._

"Got ya!!" A soldier shouted, having heard my hip pop. I hate being double-jointed in most of the places on my body.

"AHH!!!" I screeched, driving my staff into his face. I knocked him down, he got up. I had my gun out at ready to fire by that time, wincing with every shot. The urge to puke rose in my stomach and throat as I stepped over him, ducking down and searching for the floppy disk. I shoved my stupid, evil, nameless gun back into its holster. My gun, my gun, my gun…it was getting old already. I'd name it when I got the chance.

I placed my hand on a table to steady myself as I lowered down and pushed a box. I smiled, grabbed the red floppy, got up and turned to the door.

And jumped in surprise.

"Oh, Vincent," I said, "I didn't see ya. I found one," I stepped around the crap in the room and held out the Omega Report.

"Hmph…thanks." He took it, placing it in that pocket we never get to see with the others.

My face brightened immediately. "Yup! No problem."

We made our way through the manor, and as we did, anticipation welling up in my gut. I wasn't paying attention to what I should've, so when Vincent went down on a knee, my focus stayed on him.

"Vincent, are you okay?!" I asked, a little more surprised than I would've liked to be. He was breathing oddly, and he had his gauntlet digging into the black leather covering his chest.

"Vince?" Derik had his hand on his shoulder. Realization began to dawn on me about what was happening, where we were, but Derik hadn't played the game as much as I had—Derik probably forgot.

"…This pain…"

"Vell, vell, we meet again," a voice behind me said. It sounded Russian. Russian voice = Rosso. Shoot. I jumped slightly in surprise, but moved closer to Vincent so he'd have time to recover. "This is _perfect_! I so vanted to see you, my love…"

I could feel Vincent gripping my shoulder lightly with his gauntlet as he got up quickly. He'd make himself dizzy if he wasn't careful…

"Deepground," Vincent said, his eyes taking on that dangerous gleam again, "What are they planning to do with Omega?"

Rosso's eyebrows shot up with amusement, and she looked at me and Derik. "Oh, how silly, darling! You brought a little girl and a little boy vith you."

"I find that offensive," I growled, "I'm taller than you!" I took this as an opportunity to look her over. Blood was splattered on her claws, on her arms and such, but one thing that surprised me was that she still, in a way, looked pretty.

Bethie had made an OC and drawn a picture. I said it looked kinda like Rosso and showed her, and we had laughed. That OC's name was Mal, and she was a character Beth had paired up with Sephiroth.

A_ha_, a_ha_—NO.

"Answer my question!" Vincent hissed, using the claw he still had on my shoulder to pull me back and slightly behind him. Rosso faked an almost sad face, her eyes widening in mock shock. Rhyme unintended.

"Vell I don't know, _darling_," she said in a mocking tone, using mocking gestures—everything about her mocked us. She grinned. "And to be honest, I don't care."

"What?"

"But this is vat Weiss desires." Rosso paused. I tightened the grip I had on my staff with my left hand while lowering my right hand to grip my gun. "Hail Weiss. And vat Weiss orders, ve do. It is very simple. If he desires the avakening of Omega, then that is vat all of Deepground desires." I hated Rosso, and figured Vincent might at least be a little bit interested, but I was genuinely curious. Okay, I didn't hate her; I just didn't like her personality. She was kinda cool.

"You can honestly say, that you have no problem taking orders like that?"

Rosso looked at me, and nodded as if it was obvious. I'm not incredibly great with reading people's faces all the time, but I didn't see that much of her usual mocking malice. "Vell of course, darling, it vas how ve vere raised. Ve could care less about vat happens to the planet."

"Who's Weiss again?" Derik interrupted softly, looking at me. "Isn't he their leader?"

I nodded, getting hit with a tiny bit of panic. I shouldn't know too much, I didn't know how much it was okay for me to know. "Apparently," I said.

"But all this matters little to me. It is not everyday you are given the chance to cleanse the world of all life," Rosso went on. "Just the thought sends a chill of excitement _through my body_."

_Monster,_ I thought, _You're a monster. You and Azul both._

Rosso looked at me. "The Deepground soldiers were born and bred to kill," she stated. "Ve vere chained to a destiny of servitude. But then three years ago, ve vere freed from our chains—though waiting for us was darkness, lit only by the faint glow of mako. And vat do you think ve did vith our newfound freedom?" When none of us three answered, she laughed. "Ve killed! That is how ve vere raised. That is all ve knew. And so I bathed in the blood of a thousand soldiers…and I enjoyed it. I _reveled _in it. And ven I finally stepped out of the abyss, I craved for more." Rosso then looked to Vincent. "You understand, right?"

With a threatening point of Cerberus, Vincent said, "I don't think so." At that moment, I got goosebumps.

"How can you say that, darling? We're one and the same…" Rosso backed up, shooting down a hallway. When we tried to pursue her, we were stopped by the robot.

It was over all to quickly. Vincent had the Black Widow down in less than thirty seconds; had shot it until it stopped moving.

I saw Derik moving next to Vincent. He stepped in front of him, arms out like a shield.

The next second, there was blood, and Derik had been thrown across the room. A ripping, sickening sound followed, and I sobbed, staring in horror between my two friends—Derik slowly trying to get up, and Vincent, Rosso's clawed hand in his chest as he clutched at her arm.

"No!!" I screamed. I felt weak when the red, demon-like woman tore her hand back with a squelching sort of sound. I tried to catch Vincent, but ended up going down onto me knees. He didn't look that heavy. "Vincent!! Vincent please be okay, wake up!!" There was a massive hole in his chest, the leather torn, blood pouring from the wound. My entire body ached and stung from sympathy pain, something that had been bothering me since before I had come to Gaia.

"I'm sorry. Vere you not expecting that?"

Vincent was spasming in my arms as I held him up, and I sobbed. I'd been _right there_! Derik, at least, had seen it coming.

I heard cackling across the huge room.

"Vat is this?" Rosso snarled as she looked to the other side of the room. I would have smiled, had I not been crying, as I saw Derik rising from the ground, a ring of fire spinning around him as he drew his guns. He lunged at her, flames ghosting through the air near my face but not close or long enough to burn. Rosso was knocked back, and Derik started shooting.

Vincent began to glow red, and I almost got knocked backwards when two massive, leathery wings unfolded. He changed the rest of the way.

I almost screamed, staring into wide, glowing, yellow eyes. And then they began to change to orange, to red, and I continued to cry.

"Derik!" I choked out loudly as my friend went skidding across the old ground next to me.

"Say goodbye, little girl." Rosso raised her hand—the one without the Protomateria.

I bent down, hugging Vincent tightly as I expected death.

It never came.

But there were footsteps, and a light, and I protested violently as Vincent was taken from me—until I saw who it was.

"Grab your friend," the girl commanded, and I gasped. "Hurry!"

I hauled Derik's arm over my shoulder, and we were running, running…

We were outside, and I took a moment to look up at the dark sky, lit by millions of beautiful stars. Just like back home…

Could Bethie see those same stars? Or not?

We were in the Shadowfox again. I was gasping for air, my lungs feeling like they were crumpling up into little shriveled…well, lungs.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, quit your crying," Derik said, patting me on the back.

"Yeah, but what…what about Vincent?" I squeaked, moving on to check on Vincent. His eyes were still open, and he was shaking violently. I pulled the supply bag from my shoulder and withdrew a potion, setting that aside while I emptied everything else (empty potion vials and syringes from Limit Breaker things, etc.) and folded the back, placing it over the hole in Vincent's chest to hopefully soak up some of the blood, maybe even stop it. "Vincent, please, this isn't funny!" He wasn't supposed to be in this much pain, he should be okay!

"Why?!" the cloaked girl shouted, "Why didn't I bring any restore materia?!"

"He'll be fine!! Both of you just do what you can!" Derik shouted, shoving the girl down into a seat.

_Oh yeah,_ I thought as I removed the top of the potion, my head finally clearing a little,_ that's Yuffie._ I lifted Vincent's head up while I brought my shaking right hand to his face, pouring some of the potion into his mouth.

"How can you say that?! He could be dying, and you're just going to relax?!"

The Shadowfox was moving. Good, we were going.

"I know what I'm talking about. Look, Tory's taking care of him."

Vincent coughed, and I almost gagged as blood dribbled down his chin, accompanied by the bit of the potion I had poured in.

"Yeah but still!!"

_The hole will fill itself, c'mon, Chaos, do your thing…_

As if to answer my plea, Vincent began to glow red again, his eyes flashing yellow.

"Get back!!" Yuffie warned, and I could…just tell Derik was the one holding _her_ back. Ignoring my racing heart and the blood pounding in my ears, and the fear twisting in my chest painfully, I moved the folded bag and watched as the wound closed up. Vincent's body convulsed and there was an angry snarling sound.

"Agh!!" I screamed, clapping my hand over my right cheek as I landed on my side. The potion landed on the floor, spilling out. My cheek was hurt and bleeding.

"Tor?" Derik said, helping me up. "Move your hand, let me see."

I sniffed, tears welling up all over again. "Owie…" I whimpered, letting Derik pull at my wrist.

"The wound healed!!" Yuffie shouted. "But…he clawed you, right? You okay? Please don't be mad, it was Chaos!! Don't be angry at Vincent, he couldn't help it!!"

I shook my head and tried to smile, but it hurt to make my face move. "He didn't mean to," I agreed, "But it still hurt…"

"There's still one potion left, do you want it?" Derik asked, holding the vial out to me. I nodded, taking it. Just as I was about to unscrew it, I shook my head and handed it back to him, grimacing despite how much that hurt the claw marks.

"Save it. Give it to Vincent when he wakes up. We have some disinfectant in that pile still, right?" I pointed to the pile of crap I dumped out from the bag.

"Here!" Yuffie said, grabbing it. "Um, here, move. I can take care of it." She motioned Derik out of the way, holding up a gauze pad before dumping some of the liquid disinfectant onto it and slapped it on over the cuts. My eyes widened and I gasped, thankful that I hadn't screamed. "Sorry! You're lucky he barely reached you…Hey, you, can you pass me that tape crap?" Yuffie pointed to the medical tape that Shalua had insisted I pack, along with the disinfectant and gauze pads.

"It's _Derik_," he said, "She's Tory." He handed Yuffie the tape.

"I'm Yuffie Kisaragi," she introduced herself, rolling some tape from my cheek, over the gauze pad and onto the other side. "And, um, thanks…for, you know, helping Vincent out. He needs more friends."

I smirked with the left side of my face to prevent anymore pain as she repeated the taping process a couple times. "He told us about you," I stated.

"Vincent?" She giggled weakly, "All bad, I suppose."

"Maybe so," Derik said, "But he said it fondly." He patted her on the head through the silly-looking hood before pulling it down. Her hands, now free, clapped over her black hair. "He did, however, fail to say how extremely beautiful you are."

"Derik!!" I gasped, "You just met her!" My face hurt.

Yuffie's face became a red that matched Vincent's eyes. "Sh-shut up, that's—you--you're embarrassing me!" She rubbed her neck, "Besides…I, uh…This battle is more important than dating, and I like someone else!"

"Damn him to hell," Derik grumbled, albeit smirking. Dude, he was three years younger than her! AND DATING!!! Ah well, he was probably just goofing.

"Derik, that's not nice! Thanks, Yuffie." I said as she sat down on a seat. I took the now bloodied bag, pouted, and shoved the supplies back into it.

"Right…I take it back then." Derik sat on the floor next to the seat Vincent was in. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Take a seat and get some rest," Yuffie said, smiling as she patted the seat next to her. I spared a moment to look at Vincent—his eyes were closed. I got up and sat down next to Yuffie, letting my head fall back against the side of the Shadowfox.

_I swung my legs, fiddling with the soft cloth that made up my yellow, blue-trimmed kimono. My large, almost mushroom-like cap sat next to me on the branch, and my blue-and-blonde hair billowed in the soft wind. A black-haired neko boy sat close at my side, ears twitching at the slightest sound while his tail swished back and forth._

"_What do you want to do today?" I asked, glancing down to my gloved hands. _

"_It's up to you," he replied with a lazy slur to his voice._

"_But I always choose," I said, "I don't know what to do."_

"_Make up your mind," he countered. _

"_What are you in the mood for?" I sighed, tilting my head._

"_I'm actually not in much of a mood…I'm up for anything."_

_Green eyes caught my own yellow and blue eyes._

"_Um, do you just want to go for a walk?"_

"_I'd rather fly."_

_I smiled as his black wings showed themselves, and my white wings unfurled without tearing my kimono. "Okay," I said pleasantly, "Kone-sama."_

_The gusts of wind caused by the wings flapping caused my hat to fall, and I watched as it hit the grassy ground._

_The scene switched._

"_Crystal?" I said, walking up to my friend. She was on the ground, lying there like she was asleep, but her normally pale skin was now just flat-out white, literally glowing in the light the crystals were giving off. I looked at the woman in the crystal. I knew her, but I couldn't place a name to her pretty face. _

"_Mother," Crystal spoke softly. I got down on my knees and lifted her up slightly._

"_What?"_

"_My mother," she whispered, tears streaking down her cheeks. Her green eyes appeared glassy and empty._

"_I thought your mother was Jenova?" I said, "But what is it? You're sick! And all wet…how long have you been here? You've been gone for weeks; your big brother is worried!"_

"_Hojo lied," she said. "Sephiroth didn't know…he's really my big brother, though, this is our mother…"_

"_C'mon." I stood up, pulling her limp body up with my own. "I'll find Tseng and Zack!! And Cloud, remember? That cute one with the spiky blonde hair you like?"_

"_No!" She cried out, shaking her head. She coughed. She kept coughing._

"_Crystal!! Crystal, hang on, you're really sick! It's icky out there, but the sooner we get you back to Midgar, the better! I'll chew out Hojo later. Then we can tell Sephiroth! And we can show him! Right?" Crystal was so much smaller than I was already—we were fourteen. I had at least five inches of height more than she. Now she seemed smaller, thinner, and frailer. _

"_Don't take me back," she pleaded, "Stay here with me, I won't last long, I promise…"_

"_Don't promise me that!!" I shouted. Crystal always kept her promises. "No!! No, don't die, please don't die!!" I sat down and hugged her, rocking her back and forth. I removed my jacket and wrapped her in it as best as I could._

_Time flowed by, longer and longer, and when Crystal stopped breathing I cried and yelled. The storm outside went on for ages. When it ended, I carried her out. It was cold, and wet, and it took me about a week to find Tseng and Zack—Cloud was with them. Well, truth be told, they found us. I was sick. I felt like crap. Things were blurry, but when I got back to Midgar, Sephiroth was expecting Crystal._

_I had to break the news to him._

_He was mad._

_A week later, Sephiroth went to Nibelheim and wasn't heard from for five years._

**Okay, the two dreams were hopefully self-explanatory. The first one was a short scene of Derik's, as well as my own, .hack//G.U. character. The character I was is named Crystal, and I've noticed something. Every time I name a character Crystal, someone they care about ends up IN a crystal. For FF7, it was Lucrecia. For .hack//G.U., it was Endrance. Ha, ha. Anyways…the second dream was something I actually had a nightmare about once, and it inspired me to write a fic that I never finished or published.**

**Please tell me what you think, but just be nice to poor Crystal.**

**One more thing: **

**I took a quiz. I'm mostly Aerith, then Tifa, then Cloud. Which means I've made an improvement over the last few months personality-wise. Aerith, though…? It didn't even have any questions about weapons!!**


	11. Let's Get it over With

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Eleven: Let's Get it over With**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

**A/N: Thank you, Rixah, for all the reviews. Thank you everyone. Derik actually IMed with me and helped me with this chapter. He appreciates reviews, everyone!**

_The basement was bad, and I knew it…I tried to tell Sephiroth, but he went down anyway. The dream blurred by after that, and it wouldn't stop replaying. Over, and over, until…_

_Clank!_

"Don't go!!" I screamed, tears spilling over onto my cheeks. "Wha…huh?" I blinked, watching my staff tap on my forehead.

Derik smiled and sunk back down into a more comfortable position, flopping my staff back down on my lap. "Freakin' out in your sleep so I thought I should wake you," he explained. "Oh, and sorry, Yuffie, I won't call you that."

I glanced to the ninja; her face was red. Obviously I had missed something.

"What were you dreaming about?" Yuffie asked, hands on her hips.

"Mmnnn…" I reached up, rubbing my head where Derik had hit me. It didn't hurt, I had a hard skull. "Can't remember…"

"Seriously?" Yuffie sat back down next to me.

"It's all fuzzy," I stated, "As usual…"

"But you JUST woke up!"

"Don't strain yourself to remember," Derik warned, "It'll come back on its own."

I bit my lip. "Did I…say…_something?_" I asked, hoping Derik would get that I was talking about…"spoilers"…

"Something about a basement," he said, nodding. He got it, and I was remembering bits and pieces of the dream again.

"Oh…oh! Yeah," I grinned weakly, looking down. "It was stupid…not really worth talking about."

"Go back to sleep," he said with a smirk, "I'll clonk ya again if you start to say anything embarrassing." I sniggered, taking that…wrong. "What with the blushing and giggling, Miss Victoria?"

I shook my head, setting my staff next to the supply bag on the floor to lie down on my side and curl up. "Took that really wrong…my Naivety Cookie was smashed to bits and then wiped off the Table of Life by my best friend." I yawned, twitching as pain shot through the right half of my face.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Nothing," I muttered, "Forget it. I just have a dirty mind."

"Oh ew!"

"Don't lie to yourself, Yuffie…" I smiled at Derik after saying that, and I could tell he was smirking on the inside.

Suddenly, something large was placed over me—it was Derik's jacket. Jeez, he was tall.

"Go to sleep, 'kay?" he said. I nodded a bit and smiled, tugging the jacket up to my chin as I closed my eyes.

"Thank you, Derik."

Not thirty seconds later, Yuffie asked, "Hmm…now that she's asleep again, what can she do?"

"She's supportive."

"Can she actually _fight_, though?"

"Usually," Derik said, and I knew that tone. Oh great, what was next? "She usually needs a fire lit under her butt, though." My eyebrow twitched.

"So…she's not just the baggage girl?"

"No, that's not…"

_Click._

I took a deep breath as white light swam behind my eyelids, and I felt like I was being swept up, flying, and then…it stopped, and I was lying in that machine again…the lid was up, and wires were being removed by…

"Adam," I said, surprised my voice sounded so clear. Suddenly he had placed my glasses back on my nose and was looking down at me.

"Hey, kid," he said. "Wakey-wakey, eggs n' bakey. C'mon."

"Whoa!" I gasped as he lifted me up without seeming to strain himself. "What now? Can I go home?"

"As if," he snorted, setting me down in a plushy chair. I glanced around at the odd setup, it seemed so alien, and yet…homey.

"Um, so, what's up?" I asked.

"Checkup on Subjects A through E," he stated. "B won't wake his own lazy ass up. Em's in there with him."

"Emily?" I asked, tilting my head in an anime-like fashion. He nodded.

"Wait here until a woman named Alexandra comes for you," Adam instructed, "And guess what? You get to meet three new friends."

"Friends?" That sounded…I dunno, suspicious.

"You get to meet Subjects C, D, and E." He smiled almost pleasantly at me. "Now we're just waiting on Subject B."

"But…what's all happening?" I asked, my voice raising a pitch.

"I already told you," he grumbled, placing a hand on his forehead, "It's a checkup…also a meeting…type…thing."

"No one's died yet, though?" I sounded like an excited little girl…then again, I was only thirteen.

"No!" Adam laughed, shaking his head quickly, "No one's died yet…this may be our first time doing this since we came here, but you're all fine."

"Since we came here?" I echoed. "You're from Gaia! Aren't you?"

"Some of us." Adam waved a hand at me, and turned. "See ya. And remember, _wait here_."

"Wait!!" I shouted, "You're just leaving me here?" Adam smiled again and nodded before disappearing through huge doors. An odd, empty feeling swept through me. I was on Earth…I was home, but not…back with my family yet.

_Wait here._

That wasn't a command or an order, the way Adam said it, he…he almost…it was like he was telling me to get a look around while I could. I put my hand on my hip, sliding it down until I felt my hand hit something. Looking down, I smirked. I still had my gun with me. I was wearing the clothes I had been in Gaia.

I was confused! I mean, okay, I had been on Gaia that whole time, yet still on Earth. I had the gun that Reeve had given me back on Gaia. I was wearing the same clothes. Things weren't making sense anymore…My brain hurt.

My gun. I could reload it now, Vincent and Derik had taken a few minutes making sure I had it down. I was safe, so if those jerks tried anything stupid, I could kill them, get Derik out, and make a break for home! I got up, off the plushy chair, and looked around. Truth be told, it reminded me of an home from .hack//G.U. or something. I was waiting for a Grunty to pop out and kill me. I giggled. Maybe if they had all this technology, I could ask them to bring Death Grunty for me. Or Mellow Grunty! Or was it _Melo_ Grunty…? I'd ask Derik later.

I put my hand on my head as I walked towards a long hallway with a high ceiling, trying to stop feeling so confuzzed. This was becoming borderline stupid! Or at least, it was for me. Was Derik going through the same thing? I felt like I was acting OOC or something! I hated—I mean, absolutely HATED—going against authorities…even if they were kidnappers. What if the government knew about this place? What if Obama was working with these people?! …No. Just absolutely not.

As I entered the next room, I gasped. "You!" I managed to get that out, but I was too surprised slash embarrassed to get anything else out. It was the guy from before—spiked back brown hair, icy blue eyes…But I noticed something: He wasn't wearing a lab coat, just a white shirt, a tie, and some brown pants plus socks as he sat comfortably on a couch. But what he did was what really threw me. He smiled.

"Hey there," he said, and I made a move to back up. "You're um…Subjeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeect…A! Right?" He pointed a finger at me and nodded to himself. Was this the wrong guy? I hadn't had my glasses on last time. Nor had I noticed that he was extremely handsome…but kinda reminded me of a young Grimmjow. Except that he wasn't planning on killing me.

_I hope._

"Nice to meet you!" He said. "I'm Dustin. What's your name?"

Oh, dear Kira, TWINS!!

"I…um…Tory," I said, "I'm sorry…I was just…you know, looking around, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to walk in on you I-I-I just--" My face was all red and hot and I felt ridiculous. He patted a free couch cushion with one hand while lifting up a controller. He hit a button, and I recognized the noise it made as being from… "You play Kingdom Hearts?!"

"Yup," he said. I watched, and almost smiled. KH2, really. He was fighting Sephiroth. "You ever beat this dude?"

I walked over to the couch, and the doors closed behind me. "Yeah," I said softly, sitting down next to him.

"_Ahhh!!" _I flinched as Sora got killed on the humongous screen.

"Aw shit. Again," Dustin sighed. He held the PS2 controller out to me. "Wanna try?" I took it, surprised by the offer…

Yet why did it seem so wrong to me as I had Sora going back to Sephiroth?

"Is there a person in KH?" I questioned, watching the all-too-familiar cutscene with Sephiroth.

"Nah, Hunter's threatened to throw me at Seph a few times, though." Dustin gave an exaggerated frown.

"Is Hunter the other guy?" I asked, "Um, your twin?" A good twin and an evil one. Man, that was cliché.

"Yup, yup."

I paused. "Umm…if Sora dies again, will you be mad?"

"Nah. This is the game, it's not like you'll kill the real Sora!" Dustin said this while patting me on the shoulder.

Sora was real too.

"…Kay," I said, un-pausing.

"_That's enough." _I hit the triangle button with practiced ease, quickly locking onto him. I'd spent hours upon hours fighting Sephiroth back home.

"So, uh…" Dustin had one arm hanging casually over the back of the squishy, plushy couch, "Vincent clawed up your face, huh?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Not like I'm upset about it…crap! Cure! Hurryhurryhurryhurry! He didn't mean to. Is that how you figured out it was me?"

"Uh-huh," the brunette agreed almost cheerfully, then went into an unexpected fit of giggles. "Hunter said Subject A got her face torn up and then you came in and yeah. How ya feelin'?"

Oh, right! Hey, wait, why wasn't I all sore?

"…Better," I said. I looked at him for an explanation. "Why?"

"As badly as you got your ass kicked their," he said, and I interrupted him with a groan as Sora got killed. "You can't drag all that pain from one world to here. But honestly, I thought you'd have lost an eye to Vincent or something because Emily was all worried."

"She's kinda weird," I stated. I didn't like here, she was all smiles and sugar. I do have a problem trusting people and all, but the truth is I'm sick of people pretending to like me. It actually happens and then they end up making fun of me after I open up. "All nice and stuff…but she's really pretty."

I set the controller down on the glass coffee table next to us.

"She is," Dustin agreed with a big grin. I was surprised by the extremely long, sharp looking eye teeth. "But she's prettier without that damn lab coat. She's got a great body, just like her mom. Don't like her mom a bit though."

"Who's her mom?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is this thing a family business?" Dustin shrugged.

"Actually a lot of us are from Shinra…and, truth be told, I don't think I'm supposed to even know about Em's ma, but she told me. She might tell you if you talk to her a bit." I felt cold all of a sudden, and I scooted a little more away from him.

"Shinra? As is SHINRA Shinra? As is RUFUS SHINRA Shinra?!" I shouted, and he laughed and nodded.

"I was, believe it or not, a Turk; Hunter was a scientist. We don't get along too well, but I love the creep for who he is."

I felt the tenseness fading. I almost smiled back at him. Not every day do you find a guy who will admit he loves his own brother. Thinking on that, I found myself having flash backs of Nero and Weiss, and then I thought of Beth, who said they liked each other…THAT way. If you know what I mean.

I miss my Bethie.

"Um…wow…You're the third set of twins I've known my whole life," I stated. "You two look so much alike…"

"We're nothing alike _here_, though." Hunter placed a hand over his heart, and I grinned. Too much Kingdom Hearts for him. But the game had a lot of truth to it—but my story, thankfully, wasn't in there with Sora.

"He's mean. Why do you guys do what you do?"

"…I don't think you'd like the answer…" Dustin sighed. "But hey, I don't mind! I don't get too much company from Outsiders. Well…Hey, no, I didn't mean it like that! Don't cry…Don't cry!!!" I was crying. I wanted to go home.

"It's not fair!! Why…why me? Why Kone-sama?! I keep having bad dreams!"

"No!! I can't do anything, stop crying!! Please stop crying!" In a last ditch effort, he deepened his voice and said, "Stop. You'll destroy us all!" in a really badly-voice-acted way.

I fell of the couch and hit my head on the coffee table, laughing painfully. Josh Gilman did a terrible job on voice acting for Angeal at that point, and for those of you who haven't seen that cutscene on You Tube or played Crisis Core, you're in for a laugh.

The door to Dustin's room opened, and I caught sight of a young woman with short-cut blonde hair and brown eyes, hands on her hips and scowling.

"Alex," Dustin greeted with a cheerful smile. He reached a hand to help me up, which I took.

"Subject A, you were to wait for me in Pod Room A," she said, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You're Alexandra?" I giggled. I had been expecting an old hag or something, I'd only seen young adults here.

"Indeed," she growled. I felt kinda guilty.

"Sorry," Dustin said, standing up. "She came in here and I started distractin' her…"

"Hmph. She knew better," Alexandra snapped. I nodded. "Now come on, Subject be won't get up. That lazy asshole! Emily was so patient, and all he cared about was what his stupid girlfriend thought!"

Oh, no. Uh-uh, that wasn't getting past me!

"Don't call Jeri stupid!!" I screamed, "She's nice and that's all that matters! She's not stupid, and she's a lot better than you!" Truthfully, I've never met Jerika in person, but my sister is good friends with her. Derik and she are really close, though, he seems really happy about dating her. I wish them the best. But leave it to Derik, only wanting to know about Jerika. I almost smirked despite my anger. I definitely wanted to meet her; she_ had_ to be a neat person to be around.

Alexandra narrowed her eyes at me.

"Think of where you are," she said, "You're in _our_ base."

"Tory, why don't you just go with her and get if over with?" Dustin suggested, "Make friends with the other kids."

I doubted it. People don't like me at first glance, I'm tall and plain looking and I usually have a really empty expression on—well, for the past couple days, no one had made a comment on how I look except that…one girl. What was her name, back at the base? Allie? Ashley? Aaa…something.

"Okay," I said, walking forward, "Sorry, Alexandra." She raised an eyebrow, her triumphant smirk dropping.

"Apology accepted," she grumbled, "I went a little far there…We _did _kidnap you, so I'm not surprised…"

"How'd you get me out of my house without Gabby (my dog) going crazy?" I demanded.

"We didn't," she grinned. "You heard us outside your house when you were walking past the door, and you poked your head out. We got you then and covered your mouth; Adam knocked you out pretty fast. " I didn't like it. But I was impressed.

"Why me?" I asked.

"All in the meeting, Kid."

"…I'm not a kid."

"You're only thirteen; you're still a child."

"No, I'm a teenager." I'm very sure I'm an adult in my head. Most of the time. I had started doubting it when I got sucked into another world.

We walked into a huge room, and I felt like my heart stopped.

"I thought it was under_ground,_" I whispered, staring through the huge glass dome, at a whale swimming by. It was a huge, well-furnished room; the floor was glossy wood with white rugs and such. A set of white couches and chairs sat around. There were tables and vases, and flowers, and…

It was breathtaking!

"Well, some of Gemini Headquarters is underwater, some of it more of…underground."

_Gemini…how fitting, they're twins._

I looked at the kids looking at me. One boy looked like he hadn't slept for days, and he had dark brown, shaggy hair and pale skin. He looked kinda sick. The other pair was a boy and a girl, around the same age—_maybe_ two years older. Sitting all close, like a happy little couple.

And then I noticed Hunter.

"Glad you could join us," he stated, smirking at me. "Subject B--"

"Won't wake up," I interrupted, walking over to a couch. I sat down, sinking slightly in its plushiness. "I know. He's lazy; it's one of his few flaws."

Hunter answered with a wolfy grin.

"Very well," he said, "Subject A…I'd like you to meet Allen, Olivia and Ryan." The order was the creepy kid, and then the couple. No one said anything. They all felt overwhelmed, like me, I think.

I nodded, glancing at them all. "Kay."

"First of all, my name is Hunter."

"I know."

"Hm?"

Alexandra stepped forward. "Your stupid brother had a chat with her." I felt myself ducking forward a little, wanting no part in that.

"Tch." Hunter glanced at me, and I was too scared to look away. "Is that so? When you ran off?"

"Y…yes." I stammered, exhaling in relief as he shrugged.

"No problem, then." I tensed up again as he said it. "So I suppose you're all okay, since you haven't been killed yet?" No one said anything. "So lively," Hunter sighed. "So you're all wondering why you were brought here?"

"Yes." I was surprised as I looked over to Allen. His voice was hoarse and weak.

"We are," I agreed, backing him up.

"Yeah!"

"Uh-huh."

"You were all specifically chosen by me," the spiky-haired brunette said, "Out of hundreds of candidates. Your in-game experience, your emotions within that game, and your physical condition were all important aspects in choosing." I shifted.

"What if we're weak?" I asked, referring to myself. "How did I get chosen?"

"Your emotional reactions were…interesting," Hunter said, grinning again. I scowled.

"How did you know how she reacted to that…stuff?" The Olivia asked.

"We've knocked you each out and probed your brains, had you back home before you were missed."

"You WHAT?!" Ryan snarled, standing up. He was shoved down by Adam, who I hadn't noticed before. Allen flinched, and Olivia herself jumped.

"Have you been screwing around with my head the whole time?" I asked, keeping my tone as…calm as I could.

"We have," Hunter said. "Searching your memories and such, though I'm surprised you asked—I was expecting you to keep your hand down like you do in Social Studies." I sighed shakily at him.

"Well, I'm actually interested in this subject considering it involves me and other children instead of dead people and events long passed."

"Listen to _her,_" I heard Olivia whisper, "Talking like she's so great…"

"I am not," I snapped, "I'm just sick of running around knowing I couldn't move without strings manipulating me like a puppet!"

"Well, guess what: we're all trapped here whether we like it or not." Allen croaked, putting his chin on his hand—I noticed it was wrapped, the bandages looking torn in places. Allen looked really worn out and sick…I wonder how bad it was back in…wherever? "You two got something easy…You two are running around in stupid Persona 3!"

"It's not THAT easy, asshole!" Ryan hissed. I glanced again and Hunter, who seemed rather amused by this. What was that game about again? I had a friend who played it, and she recommended it…

"Sure it is, you get daylight hours running around in school!"

"I'd rather be fighting zombies!"

"Zombies?" I repeated, eyeing the multiple tears and wounds and bandages Allen wore. I hated zombie games.

"Resident Evil," he explained, tugging his black sleeve over a bandage on his wrist, "You ever play it…?" I shook my head, and the other two looked at me as if expecting me to make a comment. So, after a moment, I said,

"My Oniichan plays it…I think he got number five recently. I-I've watched him play it a little…"

"So like, anyways, dude, you're breaking the law!" Olivia said to Hunter, going back to the original subject. "You'll be found out, my Daddy knows people in high places!"

"I know."

"So why did you, like, do it?!"

The answer was something that upset me, saddened and sickened me, but it almost…didn't surprise me.

"Because I can."

"You sick bastard!" Ryan shouted. "You're going to rot in hell for this!!"

"I'll see you there."

"Stop, please," I spoke up, irritation rising. "Please…Ryan right? Sit down and listen."

"I don't have to listen to some stupid thirteen-year-old!"

"And I don't have to put up with this, do I?" I asked, "May I go back?"

"Time's not leaving you behind." Hunter was smirking again. I nibbled my lower lip for a second—a nervous habit.

"So? I, uh…I kinda think I'll be okay without any more info."

"Same here." Allen stood up, cracking a bone in his wrist. Adam narrowed his eyes, carefully watching him. I followed.

"Take A and C back to the Pod Rooms, Adam," Hunter commanded. "D and E will remain here while I…speak to them."

So we left, and the atmosphere was strange as we walked side-by-side. Every now and then I spared a glance at Allen; his eyes, as I had noticed, were dark green. He was taller than me, and though he wasn't built like a football player, I couldn't call him scrawny. All in all, he was…cute. I sighed, wanting to hit myself over the head for having such weird taste in men…guys…boys…however you wanna put it. Once or twice, when I looked at him, he would look back at me, and I would look down or away and blush.

"You don't look thirteen," he commented as we entered my Pod Room. I shrugged.

"I get that a lot…how old are you?" I questioned. Adam, off to the side and opening my pod, rolled his eyes.

"Sixteen. What game you in?"

"Dirge of Cerberus…"

Allen smiled. It looked kind of awkward on his face, like he didn't do it too much. "Cool…Vincent Valentine…I like that game."

I nodded, then shook my head. "Can't really call it that anymore." I detected nervousness in my own tone. "But I liked it a lot too."

"Tory," Adam called. He smirked at me. He probably knew what I was thinking. "Get in your pod now." I almost laughed at him; he sounded like…like…like what? An older brother? Jeez, he was bipolar or something. First he scared the crap out of me, and then…No, I had to stop trying to make sense out of things. It would only make it worse. So I maneuvered myself into the pod and glanced up again at Allen again, feeling sad and kinda worried all over again.

"Good luck." He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he said it.

"Yup, you too," I responded. "Don't die."

"Eh…"

**Holy Kira, that took forever. Read and review, please.**


	12. The Crystal Cerberus

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Twelve: The Crystal Cerberus**

**Disclaimer: I duz not own nuttin.**

**A/N: OMFK, people, chapter Twelve. And I'm somewhere around halfway...Insert overdramatic sob here. So…for you who are reading it, I can't thank you enough. Derik helped me with this chapter again. Thank you, Derik!**

When I woke up, I wished I hadn't. I didn't move, but hissed, aches and pains returning.

"—Don't I even get a 'hello' from a friend?" Yuffie's high voice greeted my ears, cutting into my growing headache.

"It's been a while…" My eyes snapped open, and I resisted the urge to sit up. Vincent! Vincent was awake…that was good.

"Yes it has!" Yuffie sounded offended. "Been a whole year! I kept trying to call you, but you never picked up you jerk!" A moment passed, and I heard Vincent's pained gasp.

"Don't!" I said, my head poking out from under the black jacket. "Please…don't…rest, okay? Don't hurt yourself…" Vincent gave me a blank, dazed look, though that same look moved to Yuffie when she started talking. I looked at the torn leather, dried blood now left over on it from the closed wound.

"She's right, you need to take it easy!" she backed up my words with worry of her own. "That was a mighty big hole in your chest!"

Vincent looked up at her, red eyes still empty of anything aside from confusion. "…a hole in my chest…?" He moved his hand to the spot that Rosso had pulled the materia from, and I shuddered, shooing the memory from my thoughts. Poor Vincent…it upset me, to put it lightly, to see him so weak and vulnerable…I wanted to cry.

"Yup! It healed right up, though. You were always…_different,_ but I guess that's why you're still breathing!" Yuffie added one of her trademark spins, and I couldn't help smiling a little. She was such an annoying little clepto monkey, but I liked her.

"And thanks to Yuffie, we escaped safely…" I added, and Vincent looked at me. Yuffie looked at me, and then back to Vincent.

"Hn…thanks, Yuffie."

"H…hey, nah, you don't have to thank me…" Yuffie blushed like a tomato, and I smiled. Our conversation…had sounded a little different than it would've been without Derik and me there, but was still a lot like it. "A-anyways, Reeve said…to, uh, contact him if anything came up! So…"

Yuffie leaned over me, hitting some buttons. A screen flashed on, and I hissed violently, tugging Derik's jacket back over my head.

"Vincent has come to? Excellent."

I sobbed dramatically under the jacket, my skull aching along with other parts of me. "My heeead…" I opened my mouth in a yawn, immediately squeaking. "Ow!" I felt someone patting my head. I was guessing it was Derik.

"Tory, are you okay?!" Reeve asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Owie," I replied, "My face hurts…I yawned…and my head hurts…but Vincent's alive, so…I'm okay too…" I tugged on the leather jacket once more and got my head out, squinting into the blue light of the screen. Suddenly my face was seized and I tasted a potion being dumped into my mouth and down my throat. I hacked, making a sound that could only be _ploof._

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Reeve said, "I have some good news."

"I thought I told you to save that for Vin--" I froze, and looked from a grinning Derik back to Reeve. "Good news?"

"What is it, Reeve?" Vincent asked in a somewhat steady voice.

"Using…You-Know-Who, I was able to infiltrate Midgar. However, what I saw wasn't the prettiest of pictures." Reeve paused, a stern look on his face. He looked as tired as I felt. "Omega…I should've known. We cannot let them sacrifice the lives of anymore people. Once we've gathered our forces, we'll launch a full offensive." Another pause and he looked at Derik, then me. "Of course, we'll require the help of you two as well. Please hurry back to headquarters."

I was surprised. Why the two of us? "Why do you want our help?" I questioned, guilt smacking me in the face when I heard my own tone.

"You and Derik are strong and can very well help in stopping Deepground from summoning Omega."

I cracked a smile from the praise, though it sounded like he was telling a child that they were big enough to do a job. I think he knew. But when I smiled, my cheek felt weird…so I reached up and tugged at the gauze pad and tape. "Ow!"

"Alright, we'll help Vincent stop Deepground…as if we have any other choice," Derik said airily, and I shrugged. I appreciated the way he took a second-in-command position between him, me and Vincent.

"Yeah," I sighed with a nod.

Reeve smiled. "Good, I'm glad to hear that you two will help. Oh! I'm currently analyzing the files you sent me, Vincent, I should have the results soon."

I was tired and cranky. I regret saying it, because it sounded nasty and childish. "You know, considering the fact that Vincent could've _died_, you don't seem very---AHHH!!!" God got me…or…Minerva did, or something, because the truck thing jolted and I was on the floor in a moment. "…Concerned…" Maybe I was just emotional and defensive. What Reeve said next was cold, but it was true.

"I'm sorry, but with Deepground as far as they are with bringing about Omega there's no time for concerns…we all need to hurry and stop them."

It stung.

"Indeed we do," I agreed, sitting up. "…Sorry…"

"I'll inform you when I have the results of the files. Tuesti out." With a blip, the blue screen shut down.

So, without looking at him, I said, "So, uh…Vincent?" He was lying down completely again, his claw on his chest while his regular arm hung down and nearly touched the floor.

"What?"

"You okay?" I asked, feeling a bit…off.

"…we should be back at headquarters soon," he stated, totally blowing off my question. My heart sank. I felt pathetic and stupid.

"Hey, Tory…Why not take this time to name your gun?" Derik suggested. I drew my gun from its holster and lifted it, raising an eyebrow at a chain with something on the end coming with it. It was a crystal, shaped like a heart. One half, red, the other, blue. On the red side, a black wing, on the blue side, there was a white one.

"Uhm…What the hell is this?" I whispered, temporarily ooing over the pretty crystal. Derik smiled, casually holding his hand to his chest. "This wasn't here when Reeve gave it to me!"

Yuffie shrugged. "Maaaybe it's a sign that everything's gonna be okay!!"

"Maybe," Derik agreed.

"Whatever…" I sighed, "I'll call it C-Shooter or something…"

"What's the C for?"

"…Crystal…"

"But that's so _lame!_" Yuffie protested the naming.

_Well, it's a pretty lame-looking gun._

"Hm," Derik…well, he hmm'd. "How about…the Crystal Cerberus?" I looked up at him. And then, feeling another gaze, I looked and saw Vincent staring at my gun, that dazed look still in his eyes. "What do you think, Vincent?"

"…Crystal Cerberus…" Vincent murmured, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back to the seat he was resting on. "…I like that name…"

Thank Kira he had his eyes closed, because I was probably a more vivid shade of red then his own beautiful eyes. "Rea…lly…? I—I yeah, um…but…kay, I-I like it too…" What the heck was Derik suggesting THAT for?! He knew Vincent's gun was called Cerberus, and my gun was…_lame_…It wasn't worthy!!

"_Pimp it out later."_ I almost jumped when I heard Adam's suddenly-monotonous tone. _"I'll help you, if you want…"_

"It's unanimous, then!!" Yuffie shouted, spinning.

_Thank you, Adam,_ I thought, still blushing.

"Your gun's name is Crystal Cerberus," Derik concluded.

"_No problem."_

I opened my mouth, pausing a moment to decide my words carefully. "Indeed…it is. Thanks, Derik, and Vincent, and you too, Yuffie!" I smiled slightly, feeling somewhat lighter.

"No problem!" Yuffie said, but her eyes quickly widened in surprise. "Oh! Vincent, isn't Cerberus what you named YOUR gun?!"

"…Yeah," Vincent replied, still keeping his eyes closed peacefully.

He seemed like he didn't care…"I really do hope you don't mind…" I muttered, fidgeting with the little sturdy chains connected the odd charm to my gun.

"…It's fine, it's a good name…" His voice was its normal deep, rumbling tone, almost no emotion detectable in it. Shortly put, Vincent was telling the truth.

I couldn't hide my please smile, or my blush. "Heh…" In my little moment of feeling giddy and awkward, I glanced at Derik, who was smiling in a triumphantly pleased way.

What was up with him? Oh well, I'd keep smiling anyway and let the soaring feeling in my heart stay for a while.

_Why does the heart seem to be the center of emotions?_

Later on, about an hour or so, and Yuffie had stopped ranting and was meditating on a seat.

One kewl thing about the WRO's Shadowfox was that it could be auto piloted or driven normally. Everyone and everything came with a BA name in Gaia. Like Shinra. Shinra is a really BA name. So are Genesis Rhapsodos, and--and Sephiroth? I mean, honestly, that's the coolest name in the world. You can get Hipster Ho from it. And another one I found out about after I was bored and had nothing better to do was Perish Hot. It doesn't make too much sense, but it sounds cool. Am I rambling again?

…Sorry…

ANYWAY, I listened to the driver saying, "We should be arriving shortly" and braced myself. "What the hell?!"

I heard loud, mechanically-fired gunshots and we hit something, Yuffie flew out of her seat, Derik successfully stopped Vincent from falling (something I hadn't thought about in the game) by putting his foot against his torso.

I fell on top of Yuffie, who was unconscious, before going back and swinging the doors open.

"ROBOT THINGIES!!!" I shouted for a lack of a better word. Vincent was already leaping out, followed by Derik, and I was climbing out, when I realized something.

My staff was lying near Yuffie, forgotten. I looked back at it, hesitating. Did I need it? I hadn't used it too much, and it was big and clunky and weighed me down. I could aim better if I steadied the gun with both arms, too…

I made one of the greatest mistakes of my life by leaving it there, but I didn't know it back then. I was, obviously, just a child. I still am, and there will always be a part of be that will stay a child, but I was a baby.

I drew Crystal Cerberus as I landed on some rocks and prepared to attack the aforementioned robots, moving to hurry next to Derik.

"Tory," he said, a serious look on his face as he glanced about. It almost startled me. "Take Vincent back to headquarters."

What the?! "Derik? Derik are you sure?" Vincent was already firing.

"Go," he said again. "I can take care of these fucks myself."

I had raised a hand to his arm, he was hot! Like he was made of fire, or…

Fire. I stared at his chest as an orb-like shape gave off a radiant red light.

It was like old times. Like being back on Earth again; this was Kone-sama I was looking at. The Flaming Neko, rising to defeat evil.

_Okay,_ I thought simply. If he was gonna play Kone-sama, I'd be Crystal. One more time. So I nodded, and ran to Vincent's side, grabbing his arm and tugging slightly.

"Hm?" He looked at me. I stared at him, not knowing for sure what to say.

"He said…I gotta…you gotta come with me. Please, Vincent…?" My tone was different, I felt strange. "He can handle this himself," I added, more surely, more confidently. More like Crystal would have.

I felt mild confusion as Vincent nodded. We ran. I didn't look back; it would slow me down.

No laser gate stopped us.

It was weird, so unreal, as I slipped into an odd feeling of excitement.

"I trust him," I panted as I faltered in my step to aim at a Guard Hound, "Kone-sama…Derik, too." We were running again. "They're different, but they're the same…But until now I never saw how different they were…even though he's just one person!!" Hardly keeping track of my own words, I grinned at how funny and childlike I sounded. "And Vincent?" I paused, he said nothing. "I know that I've…I've gotten on your nerves, but I'm really, really, really, uber happy I met you, and I want you to know that if I die anytime soon, this was all like a dream come true for me! I'm happy that I…I got to spend time with you, Vincent! It's been great!"

What was _wrong _with me? I wasn't the one who was going to die soon.

"Likewise," Vincent replied to my rambled-off rant. That one word made my happiness from earlier multiply tenfold.

I was positive then, that Vincent Valentine, my favorite character from Final Fantasy VII, was my friend. I no longer held any doubt in my heart.

**I'm sorry for the short chapter, it just seemed right to break it off here. Let me know what you think, please!**


	13. One Mistake

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Thirteen: "One Mistake can destroy everything"**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. I quoted Kratos up there for the title. =D**

**A/N: Umm…Please don't kill me for taking so long…**

I was following Vincent. My smile wasn't there anymore because I was exhausted already, but I was still happy. I felt almost invincible as I ran behind him, the nearly-invincible gunner I had known for years, though he had only known me for about a week. I fired off my gun at some Guard Hounds, regretfully killing them—ugly they may be, but I had a weak spot for animals. But we kept going. We went because we had to.

Suddenly, Vincent halted his movements, motioning me to stop as we neared a corner.

"Huh?" I slowed my movements, stepping up slowly and quietly next to him. "See something, Vincent?" He turned his head toward a Deepground guard patrolling, his back to us. I then noticed the camp near the ledge thing, and after my eyes wandered a bit, I found the hole in the wall…

"I got an idea!" I whispered, grinning up at Vincent. I pointed to the hole when he tilted his head. "Buggies…if you shoot them, they'll all attack…Y'see, if we do it from here…they'll attack the troops!"

Vincent nodded, swiftly turning the corner and silently taking out the guard with his claw. Next, he drew Cerberus and aimed at the visible bug—killed it. The other bugs rapidly piled out, attacking the frantic troops. I heard an "oh ew" from a woman, and I would have laughed had I not been involved in attacking. Vincent jumped down off the ledge, and I squeaked. Running for the ladder, I heard gunshots and explosive barrels going off. When a bullet grazed my shoulder, I gritted my teeth and let myself drop the last five steps.

Ignoring the pain shooting through my legs as I landed, I turned and pointed Crystal Cerberus at the Deepground jerk attacking me. I shot at him, attempting not to flinch. Eh, I'd get used to gunshots eventually.

_I hope._

So, I continued to fire, killing that soldier and moving on…why were they so weak? I didn't have any actual training, but I had killed at _least_ fifty soldiers since coming to Gaia.

"Cheater," I mumbled, catching up to Vincent at last. My heart was racing; I was tired.

Without looking at me, Vincent repeated. "Cheater…?"

"Jumping off that…cliff…thing! I'd probably break my legs if I did that!" After killing another bug, we ran ahead. We saw a line of WRO troops ahead—fighting off some of the Deepground soldiers. Vincent, being the excellent shot he is, shot one of the explosive barrels, killing some of the soldiers. I aimed a bit more carefully, wanting to NOT HIT THE WRO TROOPS. Friendly Fire could NOT be turned off! Soon, I was the last one firing—I realized Vincent was letting me finish off Deepground.

So I did. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, then turned to Vincent, smiling. "Am I…getting better?"

"Mister Valentine, thank you for your help!" A WRO soldier stood nearby, saluting.

Vincent nodded at him before turning to me. "Yes, you are."

I smiled, so happy I ended up showing my teeth—I wasn't ashamed of my teeth or anything, they're fine, I just…it was an open sign of joy. I could show Vincent I was happy. "I'm…glad…" We walked a little before I ended up jabbing a finger up at the sky, shouting, "Vincent!"

Two Dragonflies were nearing HQ. One hovered over us, dropping soldiers down by cable.

_What the fudge?_

"Vincent, can you take the Dragonflies?" I asked. "I can take the soldiers!" He nodded, rushing over to the turret gun. As he began to fire, WRO troops took cover, firing from their hiding places. The first Dragonfly was already down as I began to fire Crystal Cerberus. One Deepground soldier went down, two…three…four…I missed every now and then, but they were getting a little closer, and any shot was good enough to stun them for a second. Some took bullets better than others, because beneath the helmets and armor, they were all different people. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, and I spun left, my anger flaring. "Don't touch him!" I fired at a soldier—this one had gotten a little_ too_ close to Vincent for my liking. I paused—Vincent had started firing at missiles, and they exploded before they got to close. I sighed in an irritated manner as more soldiers rushed in from where Vincent and I had—some of them heavy armored soldiers…great. I hurried and shot the one next to me—but another had gotten close to me in that time, and he swung his blade, slightly catching my upper left arm. "Ahh!" I landed on the ground, grimacing but still shooting. Suddenly, he fell back. Dead. "O—owww…"

"Are you alright?" Vincent asked, kneeling down beside me. I nodded, dropping Crystal Cerberus next to me to rub at my newly fallen tears.

"Y-yeah…thanks, though." I smiled pathetically, standing up carefully. I grabbed Crystal Cerberus again. Vincent followed me up, and he was back at his full height.

"It doesn't look too bad," he said softly, "But maybe you should stay with the WRO. It'll only get worse here it seems…"

I honestly considered. But…

Oh, my gosh, _Shalua! _

"No!" I blurted. "I won't slow you down, I promise! I'll be fine. Please let me continue following you…"

"If that's what you wish…" He twirled Cerberus in a reload, and slid a card key through a gate to open it. We went cautiously through the desecrated area, and I found that I had developed a minor fear of those heavy armor dudes. I was careful of them. My shoulder didn't hurt so much anymore; the initial pain had subsided.

A loud noise tore me from my thoughts, and Vincent shoved me to the side—I landed carefully, on my good shoulder, behind some crates. I sat up a moment later, my eyes widening. "What the…?!" Deepground soldiers showed themselves as the Black Widow stepped out from the front gate. "…Oh. Shitake mushrooms…"

Vincent dashed towards them all, shooting, dodging bullets, as well as the laser the Black Widow was firing.

"Be careful!!" I shouted, cringing and wanting to smack myself. No dip, Tory. I had meeped at the laser, but I was firing now. A roar distracted me, and I saw Vincent encased in a dark sphere as he transformed into the Galleon Beast. He blasted the Black Widow, and I grinned to myself about the awesomeness of the situation. I got up and carefully fired at some soldiers, wanting to help.

The laser fired, and it started coming _my_ way. Vincent was now in front of me, his arms crossing to stop the blow. I screamed from both fear and confusion, instinctively covering my head before I came to my senses, got up and started firing at the remaining soldiers.

I heard a _shhnk_ sound before the laser stopped firing completely, and fell from the Black Widow. I saw a shuriken on the ground, and I raised an eyebrow. "No way." Vincent's Limit Break failed, and he dropped to one knee, human again.

"Yuffie," he murmured.

I was at his side before I knew it. "Vincent! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" he replied quietly before standing. We watched Yuffie land down to retrieve her beloved shuriken.

Striking an overdramatic pose, Yuffie shouted, "Beware, Deepground soldiers, cause the Great Wutai Ninja's BACK!!!"

…I had killed the soldiers already…

"Hey!!" She shouted, looking to me. "You two head in. Derik…SHOULD…be coming!" She put her hands on her hips, turning away from us to look around.

I saw a Dragonfly in the distance, fire hitting its side. It crashed down, I turned my head to see…

Derik. On a flipping rafter, gun still pointed. I laughed and shouted to him. Then, I turned to Yuffie. "How did you get up so fast?"

"You had Phoenix Downs left," Yuffie stated before making a shooing motion. "Go on, we can take 'em!"

Vincent nodded, glancing at the burning Dragonfly before hurrying into HQ. I followed. What happened up to a certain point wasn't important, so I'll skip the hallway descriptions.

We caught site of two WRO soldiers backing up while shooting—before a third came flying through the air, landing on them.

"What the hell?" Vincent promptly gasped, seeing Azul…BigBeastieAzul! Actually.

"Azul," Shelke said, and I glanced at her. She had startled me.

Yeah, Azul. Azul ANGRY. Azul SMASH. Azul scarier then freakin' HULK!!! Azul smacked Shalua out of they way, and she landed, rolling and gasping for air.

"Shalua!!" Vincent shouted. Instead of going to smack Vincent next, Azul saw Shelke. A claw was raised, and I bolted forward.

"Shelke!!" I screamed, wrapping my arms tightly around her. I wasn't prepared for the blow that came, or the collision with the wall that followed. Kozmo fleetingly galloped through my mind. That horse was _never _this mean. I cried out as I hit the ground, and Shelke stood up immediately, holding up her materia.

I didn't have to be a doctor to know I had three or four broken ribs and a possibly fractured or broken arm. I was in too much pain to do anything besides grit my teeth.

"The extreme potency of this shield materia is comparable to that of your barrier field, Azul," Shelke stated. I watched through a haze as Azul transformed into a human once more. My glasses were gone, and I knew they were broken. Great.

"Shelke?" He said. "Why do you get in my way?"

Shelke sighed. "I had to defend myself. You were trying to kill me."

"G…" I tried to say, "Get back" but it didn't work out. Vincent was next to me in an instant. Oh, everything was so _fuzzy_…Couldn't focus…

"I see…then now is the time…"

I blanked out for a second. Vincent was carrying me. I was on the ground again, and Vincent was trying to keep a door open. Shalua's voice…she was saying something. The effort itself was agony, but I reached out, dragging my right arm along the floor, lifting it up just a little bit…trying to reach her… "Sha…" I swallowed. "Shalu..a…"

"No, Shalua!!" Vincent roared. I heard desperation in his voice…

I closed my eyes, causing more tears to drip onto the floor. "N…"

_I was sitting on a couch, watching the news as a man next to me laughed, saying how the weatherman would be wrong. As the weather outside went from sunny to raining hard, I waited a moment before grinning at the frantic weatherman. _

"_What do you MEAN it's raining?!"_

_I shook my head, silver hair running down past my shoulders. I pushed some of it behind my ear as I watched my brother coming down the stairs, Mal close behind._

"_Morning, Seph," I greeted, smiling warmly at him. He nodded, yawning. Mal caught his arm, snuggling her face into his bare shoulder from behind. "Morning, Mal," I added._

"_Mm-hmmm…" she responded._

"_Giz isn't up yet?" Sephiroth sighed, glancing at the thirteen-foot-tall man lying in the middle of the floor. I shook my head, giggling. He looked like a blonde angel—well, he kind of was, but still._

_Tawn, his little sister with black hair and red eyes, was currently hanging on Nero, who was still half-asleep and sitting at the kitchen table. Of course, Nero wouldn't shoo Tawn away. She would pout like a kicked puppy and he would want to murder himself for it. I stood up, meandering over to Giz, and flopped down across his chest._

"_Mor'n', Crystal…" he grumbled, and I sighed contentedly._

"_Morning, sweetie," I giggled in response. He wasn't always a morning person…_

**Woot! All done for now…now I have to RP with Derik to find out what happens in the next chapter!**


	14. Night of the Final Day

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Fourteen: Night of the Final Day**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: This is absolutely EPIC, you guys. I only had fourteen chapters in the other fic! Another thing:**

**Thanks to one of my lovely reviewers, it has been brought to my attention that I never told you guys how TALL I am. I'm 5'8", or 172.72 centimeters. I know, I'm a giant. And, as much as I stated I disliked being compared to Cloud, I'm going to use him as an example because he's the main character of FF7. I'm an inch taller than he is. Minus his gravity-defying spikes. So thanks again!**

"_Is all this necessary?" I asked Shalua, raising an eyebrow at the large amount of potions in my bag. "It's an awful lot…"_

"_You can never be too prepared," the redhead countered. I nibbled on my lower lip, casting a glance towards Shelke, who was still asleep in the mako regeneration tank. I tried not to smile at how adorable she was like that. No longer fighting, no longer dangerous._

"…_Nope," I agreed after a moment. "And that's why Reeve gave me this…" I drew the gun from my holster, frowning. I really didn't want to use it—I'd played with BB guns before, and my aim was horrible. Then again, I didn't want to brutally kill anyone with my staff if I didn't have to._

"_It's always best to be prepared. I just wanted to make sure you'd stay safe, we need as much help as we can get here." I replaced the gun, sighing and smiling. What Shalua said was kind of touching. Making sure I was safe, huh…_

"_Thanks. I'll do what I can." I shifted the bag strap onto my shoulder. 'Even if all I can do is carrying this around,' I added mentally. Shalua smiled at me, and looked back to Shelke, my gaze following. "I wonder if my big sister's worried about me…"_

_Shalua looked at me, a curios look twinkling in her blue eye. "You have a sister?" she asked. I nodded, grinning. _

"_Yeah…she's three years older than me, but I hang out with her a lot. Most of my friends, I…met through her. Kone-sama…Derik, for instance. I hang out with a lot of older kids."_

"_Kids…" Shalua repeated thoughtfully. "Tory, how old are you?"_

_Should I tell her? That's what I wondered for a moment. I almost said twelve before reminding myself that I had been thirteen for a few months now. "Thirteen."_

"_Oh my--" she cut herself off, laughing lightly. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "You just…you're so tall; I thought you were at least seventeen. But…you're only thirteen…"_

"_I know, I'm taller than you are, I've been mistaken for a twenty-year old…seventeen is an improvement." I smiled---then I panicked. "Just…don't tell everyone okay?! I don't want them saying I should stay back because I'm a kid…Vincent already thinks I'm enough trouble."_

_Seeming surprised by my outburst, Shalua shook her head. "I won't, but you may be overreacting. Plenty of boys your age—maybe a bit older—were already trying to get into SOLDIER…I don't think you have much to worry about, even if someone finds out."_

"_Umm…" Wow, I felt stupid. Relieved, though. Thinking about it, I recalled that Zack and Cloud had been fourteen when they got involved with Shinra. "Oh yeah…A…anyway…" I giggled at myself. "My sister's…always freaking out, and my mom would never have let me come here if I told her."_

"_You ran away?" Shalua questioned immediately, and I nodded weakly. Guilt twisted in my gut, and I bit my lip._

"_Kinda—yeah, I did. So…I gotta make it back alive and apologize. Mom's gonna ground me for the rest of my life." I laughed as I said it. It sounded like a nervous laugh, but it was genuine._

"_I'm sure she won't," Shalua countered, smirking. "She may be mad, but as long as you stay alive, she'll be glad." I agreed with this. As I looked at Shalua, a thought struck me—she looked like Bethie when she wears her reading glasses. Different hair and eye color, but…_

_I turned to Shelke. "Is she gonna be okay?" The subject needed to be changed; I was getting homesick._

"_Yes. I just…I can only hope she'll forgive me someday."_

_That bothered me. "For what?" I snapped, my free hand on my hip while I tapped the ground with my staff. "You haven't done anything wrong—you looked for her. From what I'm guessing, if you ever really found her, you'd have both been killed before you could escape Deepground." Shalua shook her head, tears welling in her eye._

"_I would have gotten her out, even if it meant sacrificing myself…" she whispered, removing her glasses so wipe at them. I sighed, aggravated, and walked towards her. I lowered my staff to the ground and put my arms around her, patting her back. I felt stiff and embarrassed, not wanting her to think I was weird. Again, I felt guilt rising within me—Shalua _would_ die. Was I going to let that happen?_

"_Well then…" I pulled back, grabbing my staff again. "We're all going to live. Then you and Shelke can talk everything out. You…can handle yourself better than I can." I raised my right hand in a wave. "See ya."_

_Shalua said something, but it was drowned out and blurred._

…

_I drew in a breath—it felt funny. Like I was inhaling too slowly…but I wasn't. I exhaled, and heard something odd:_

_Bubbles._

My eyes snapped open, and I gasped for air as a blue-green light hit my eyes, and it felt like water was washing over them, though not quite so irritating to them. I closed them again and turned my head. I tried to move, but I could only do so much…On impulse, I opened my eyes…and saw, through the light, a shape—a girl…Shelke? Everything was so blurry because my glasses were gone…But…that didn't matter. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

_I hit the ground, hard. Rolling out of the way, I narrowly dodged the blade._

"_Crystal, stop!" I pleaded, scrambling to my feet. I barely dodged another sweep of her blade, the air near my face whistling._

"_If you die, it can __**all**__ be over," she responded, her tone empty and distant. I stared into those green pools, her pupils slit._

"_What's wrong with you?!" I screamed, bringing my knife up to stop her blade. My arm shook with the effort to keep her back, and she advanced further, pushing her blade sideways. I flew in that direction, landing on my back. The air rushed from my lungs, and I tried on vain to get up again. I opened my eyes after a moment, and was greeted by her blade near my face. "Crystal…"_

"_Perhaps you'd still be better of as a Turk?" I glared at her when she said that. She was mocking me again. Her voice had no change in it whatsoever, so it was often hard to tell._

"_I'm done with Shinra, we both are!" I hissed, bracing my arms against the ground to get up. "When you died, I thought you were gone…I had nothing to live for, and I let myself drift along like it didn't matter! Now that we're together again, we can fight back against—"_

…

"_People change, you know…" _it was a familiar voice—not Crystal's this time, it was…_ "And Crystal would never hurt you."_

_Adam?_ I blinked, recognizing the male voice.

"_Yeah…how are you?" _My eyes opened—instead of the blue light, I saw only the top of my pod, and Adam through it. It was so blurry…I guess I _really_ didn't have my glasses.

_I'm…okay,_ I responded mentally, trying to open my mouth. Nothing really wanted to work, but I heard my own voice coming out of a speaker nearby. _But I keep having bad dreams…_

Adam reached up a hand and ran it through his bangs…his hair, even with my blurry vision, I could tell was midnight blue…it was such a _nice_ color. "Yeah, I know." His voice sounded clearer now that I was closer to full consciousness. "The chip we installed in your head's been reacting oddly." What was his face like? He didn't look happy, but he didn't look like he was upset, either.

_You…installed a chip? In my head?_ I frowned a little, not having the strength to full-out grimace. _So…you can monitor my thoughts, right?_ Personally, I was disgusted by it. That…how come I didn't know about it?!

"Hn." He nodded. "We can't see or hear your 'innermost thoughts', so you don't have to worry, okay?" Okay, that made it a _little_ better.

_What happened to me?_

"Azul hit you. You protected Shelke, remember?"

_Is Shalua dead?_

"Yeah…" he responded, shrugging a little. Then he paused, and said, "Sorry."

My chest hurt…an aching and empty feeling. I had failed. _Shalua…_ I didn't cry…I felt like I had failed, but I did NOT cry. I felt bad for not crying…

"Shelke's okay, though."

I nodded slightly, whimpering. Of course she was okay! It was CANON, hell-O!

_Can you fix the chip so it doesn't make me have these dreams anymore?_ I asked, shifting against the restraints and briefly what they were there for.

"Emily's checking in on it."

_Adam?_

"Huh?"

_Who is Emily? I mean, why does she look like Crystal? Is she related to Sephiroth or something?_

As a reward for my question, the blunette burst into a fit of laughter. And yes, I did just call him a blunette. "No! What the heck brought that up?" he laughed, "She just died her hair a lighter shade of blonde!"

I felt my face heat up…well, I felt stupid. _I was…just asking! She just looks like Crystal, so…_

"If it helps," he interrupted, "She has neon pink and green in her hair now."

I would have laughed if I could have, but I still felt too weak. I thought of it, and it looked silly. _Well…Adam…can I go back now? I'm too tired…I kind of want to see Shelke…_

"Yeah. Go to sleep." Adam stepped back a little. "Just don't panic when you wake up in the mako regeneration tank, okay?"

_I know,_ I thought. _It's weird though…_

"Hmph…"

_Don't forget…to help me fix up my gun…later…_

Next time my eyes opened, I didn't feel so drained, and the light didn't seem so incredibly harsh. Turning my head and squinting, I saw Shelke, standing up. I moved a little, maneuvering my arm to press my hand to the glass. The movement caught her attention, just as I was hoping.

"Can you get me out of here?" I asked, my voice gurgling and distorting through the mako. Shelke looked at me for a moment before I caught a nod, and she walked over to the tank, hit some buttons and the mako began to drain. I drew in a quick breath, feeling heavier once it was completely gone. The bars pulled in and the glass pulled up. "What'd I miss?" I pulled some wet hair from near my eyes. As I put my hand down, I was struck with the realization I was already almost dry.

"The meeting is in five minutes," Shelke stated dully, and I almost rolled my eyes at her. I sighed, and smiled. I hadn't missed the meeting…

"How are you?" I then questioned, gently easing my feet to the ground. Shelke made a move to back up and give me more room, but I caught her shoulders and clumsily dragged her back for a hug.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, pulling back. I let her, and I shrugged. I was…offended, a little. She didn't have to be so upset about it.

"I'm hugging you…are you okay, Shelke?"

"…Yes, I'm fine." She backed up a little more, and walked towards the computer, picking up something black. She then came back towards me, her features clearing up again as she did so.

"What is it?" I asked as Shelke held the whatever-it-was out to me. I took it anyway, and opened it… "Oh…" It was a pair of glasses, shaped like rectangles. "But…this fast?"

"You've been asleep for three days," she explained indifferently. "Derik has been worried about you."

"Three days…" I nibbled at my lower lip, looking over my new glasses. They'd done tests on my eyes while I was out cold…Technology in this place was amazing… I stood up, and tensed. The ground didn't feel solid, and I began to sway. "Wh-where is he?" I stammered, placing my hand on the machine base of the regeneration tank.

"Waiting for the meeting to begin. You should join him."

I nodded, placing the glasses on. I was surprised by how weird everything looked as my eyes slowly adjusted to them. "Yeah…Ohh…" I stepped back and forth, my stomach twisting painfully.

"They're on the bridge."

"Nnhnnn…" I whimpered as I stumbled and wobbled past her, and out the two doors leading to the room. Partway through the hall, I heard a gasp.

"Oh, Lassie, you don't look too good!" I watched as Cait Sith came running in that silly way of his toward me, looking in a worried way at me…which was odd…but it was cute. "But it's good to know you're awake! How ya feelin'?"

"Like I'm gonna puke…other than that I'm feeling…a little better…" I smiled, bending down before collapsing partially onto a knee.

"You better hurry if you're going to the meeting," he said, "But if not, you should rest."

"I'm going…" I stated, sighing. Man, he was adorable…I got up, continuing to stumble. "I'm just…motion sick…" I got back up and started to go, listening to the noise Cait Sith made while walking. The room was spinning…I kept going, finally making it to the bridge room.

"---Ready, Reeve?"

"Yes."

"H…here I am…" I said in a voice that sounded rather pathetic. A moment later, I tripped over my feet and landed on the ground. I heard footsteps coming toward me and I blushed, catching sight of the boots near me.

"Well little lady, it was nice of you to join us." It was definitely a southern drawl…which meant…

I looked up, names and faces going through my head as I stared at the blonde man for a minute. "Uh…" He was holding a gloved hand out to me, and after a second, I realized that it was Cid. "Thank you," I said, taking it. He pulled me to my feet easily, something that didn't cease to amaze me about any of these people. He nodded before going back to what he had been saying. I caught a smile from Yuffie and a nod of acknowledgment from Vincent.

"Alright, now, our old buddies and the remaining WRO squads with lead the ground assault."

"While _we_ launch our attack from the air."

"Yup," Cid responded. "Still ready, Reeve?"

"Of course."

…

Okay, so I flinched and squeaked a few times when thing popped out at me. Plus I had a headache, which was slowly but surely going away. My mind was whirling, and I kept seeing mental images of battling Weiss—it was going to be really scary…Would I make it out alive?

"Why, those connivin'…!" I jumped a foot, eyes shooting to Cid, whose face was red with fury. "I dunno what this Weiss character is tryin'…but if he thinks we're gonna let him get away with it, he's got another thing comin'!" Derik was smirking at my little jump, and I pouted at him.

"Omega is being revived deep beneath Midgar in Mako Reactor 0," Reeve stated, and putting on the best confused face I could, I asked,

"There's a 0? I thought it was just 1-8…"

Reeve, ever patient, nodded at me. "Yes, and to increase the output of Reactor 0, all the other Reactors have been tied into its mainframe. Each squad will be relayed orders specifically."

_Oh, joy…_

"Alrighty then, we still got some time before the big show, so tend to whatever needs tendin' to."

Derik, picking up an odd case next to him and walking over to me, questioned, "So, why so late, Vicky?" I blinked, and felt heat burning at my face.

"I, uh…I'm sorry, I was, um…sleeping." I pointed to the case. "So what's that?" A genuine, truly joyful smile spread across his features.

"A gift from one of the girls in the WRO."

I practically snorted. "Fangirl?"

"Ish," he shrugged, still smiling. "Her name was Alida."

_Alida, Alida…_ Where had I heard that before? A blonde came to mind, and I nodded. "Oh, her!"

"She hunt you down, or what?" I laughed, recalling her giggling at him back at headquarters.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "She came with the people who moved you to the ship, and my guns were ruined so yeah…" Ah. The heat probably melted them or something.

"I see…so what IS it?"

He grinned. "Something cool."

"I wanna know," I whined.

"Maybe later…so, you ready for the long epic battle to come?"

"You mean…" Deepground? Pfft, yeah! "Of course I am!" He smiled again and turned to the door.

"So, what should we do until the big bash?"

I heard a sickening heave, and I grimaced fearfully for my friend. "Get Yuffie to the bathroom before---" I turned my head, the view outside the ship catching my eye without fail.

"Shit. Tory, hold this please." I took the case when Derik asked me to, but it seemed kind of…distant to me. The sun was getting ready to set outside, and I was walking closer to the glass to get a better look. At first, when I saw that we were above the clouds, my stomach lurched, and I felt dizzy…But it was so _beautiful_, I couldn't breathe for a second…Bethie would have loved the view, but she'd be so scared. I smiled fondly, thinking of her.

"Enjoyin' the view, little lady?" Cid asked from the wheel, bringing me from my thoughts of home.

"Yeah, it's…really, really pretty." I turned, smiling. I felt a little nervous…meeting Cid for the first time; he was kinda loud and intimidating, but cool. "Uh, I've…never been this far off the ground before." He stood at the wheel smiling.

With a small chuckle, he said, "Well then, nice change of pace isn't it?"

Nodding, I giggled. "I've always wanted to fly…" I paused for a moment, blanking out, before saying, "Well worth the temporary motion sickness."

"I see." He was beaming now…he kind of reminded me of my dad, though I hadn't seen Daddy in person for years…"Oh I'm sorry, ma name's Cid. And yours?"

"I'm Victoria, but I go by Tory."

"Tory, huh? So where ya from, if ya don't mind me askin'?" Huh…I had said I was from Junon, hadn't I?

"Umm, Junon. And where are you from?"

"Me? I'm from Rocket Town."

I smiled a bit at what I'd be able to pull off now. "So you're…Cid _Highwind,_ right?" Sending me another pleased grin, he said,

"Why, yes I am. You heard of me before?" SWEET!!! I was TALKING to CID!!! AND HE WAS TALKING BACK!!!

Smiling even more confidently, I responded with, "Yeah I have."

"Hm. So you're a friend of Vince's, right?"

"Yeah, I am." I felt comfy saying it, too.

"Yeah, that's great, I guess that means you'll be alright paired up with for the party."

"Huh?"

"Vince isn't one for partners, but I'd feel a hell of a lot better if you'd go with him," he explained. "From what I've heard you handled yourself pretty well back at the base."

"Oh…" my face wound up heating up again. "I…see, I'll do what I can…" I couldn't help smiling at the little compliment.

"Now…what about yer friend? The guy in black?"

"What about him?"

"What's his story? He friends with you and Vince too?"

I paused, mouth open, recalling my story. "My big sister met Derik when we moved to Junon...then we got introduced, and we've been friends ever since. Then I left home, got into some stuff and Kalm, and found out Derik was there too. We met at WRO HQ."

"I see," Cid said. That sounds silly when you think about it, like Simon Says… "I see. Didn't hear much about 'em, and it doesn't seem like the fella talks much."

"No, he's rather introverted," I giggled, "But he's a really good guy."

"An introvert huh? Well I just hope he can fight. We're gonna need all the soldiers we can get."

I nodded at him. "I can't fight too well, really…I'm good for healing, and my aim's gotten a lot better, but Derik can fight really well," I assured him.

"I sure hope so…" he glanced at me and nodded. "You start gettin' yerself all set. Afterward, go find Vince, yer with him." Ready? I glanced down at myself…my gun!

"Yeah," I said, hurrying to the door to the halls, "See you later, Cid!"

…

"Thanks, Shelke," I said, finishing strapping the holster onto my upper thigh.

"For what, Victoria Carlton?"

"I dunno…" I mumbled. "I'm gonna go catch up with Vincent now, though." I lifted the case of Derik's…whatever, and my staff as well. Sparing a glance at it, I sighed. If I had brought it with me—if I hadn't taken the blow for Shelke, her sister would still be here. I hurried out the door, almost running into Derik.

"Hey, Tory," he said, "Do you still have my--"

"Here you go," I cut him off with a grin, placing it into his hand. He opened it and withdrew a shiny new black-and-silver gunblade, setting the case down.

"A gunblade," I grinned as he swung it over his shoulder. "So…you with us?"

"Yes I am. Someone has to watch you, just don't get shot."

"We're in secondary squad, with Vincent, then…" I paused, closing my eyes as I walked for a moment. (Don't do it, kids, it's dangerous.) This was the last day. I'd go to sleep and it would be over. But we had to live through this. "Derik, I'm scared." Suddenly stopping, Derik pulled me in for a tight hug. For a moment I was caught off-guard, and tears came to my eyes. I wrapped both arms around him, careful of my staff—I didn't want to clock him in the back of the head with it. He held my head to his chest as he spoke.

"The sooner we kill Weiss, the sooner we can go back to our world…don't be afraid, I'll be there every step of the way."

"Weiss…" I sniffed, nodding a little. "Yeah…but, Derik…? Those board things we have to go down on…" I was slightly ashamed at myself, but… "I'm afraid of those…"

Derik rubbed my back, and I could tell by his voice that he was smiling. "I'm…a little nervous of those things too…" I giggled, distantly hearing Cid's rant start.

But not too much later, I was on a board, behind Yuffie and the others in the Advanced Squad, and my heart wasn't beating fast at all. Despite anticipation, I managed to keep myself calm.

It didn't last long.

"See you boys later!"

_Yuffie…_

I gasped as the Shera was hit, and a fire started behind us. We shot forward suddenly, and I screamed.


	15. Fall of the Crimson Tsviet

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Fifteen: Fall of the Crimson Tsviet**

**Disclaimer: Ughhh…I don't own anything…T^T**

**A/N: Still getting pretty far on this fic, and I'm getting awfully close to the end. So I want to thank you all for staying with me this long…I don't think thank-yous are enough, but…**

**I honestly didn't think I'd get this far.**

**Also, I'm not going to do accents for Rosso or Nero, it's too much trouble…I might make Nero sound funny on accident. Anyway, we all know how awesome they all sound.**

A single "whoa," but nothing more.

" _Just shift your weight carefully. Other than that, you should be fine." _Vincent's quietly-spoken words echoed through my mind, cutting through the noise of the loud gunfire. I looked to my right and there he was; Vincent, maneuvering skillfully through the gunfire, and shooting missiles before they hit.

"AHHH!!!" Someone went down beside me. The jerky movement I made to look threw me off balance. I swung my staff with my left hand, managing to balance myself again.

"Don't look." I couldn't hear my own voice, but I knew it was there, as I continued to descend. "Probably too late…" Maybe it wasn't, and I'd never know. I felt a little bad, but it wasn't something I could fix. Maybe I would have been killed trying. At least if I DID die, I had hugged Vincent before the launch. He'd hugged back a little too.

…_Adam?_

There was a pause before time slowed around me—still going, though—and then I heard a click.

"_What's up?"_ he asked, sounding a bit…miffed.

_I just wanted to know if you were there. Sorry._

"_Oh. What, feeling lonely?"_

_Kind of. What happens…if I die here?_

"_I'm not sure, but it won't be pretty."_

_You're no help._ I glanced around a bit, slowly moving out of the path of a missile._ Dude, this is scaring me. Put the time flow back to normal! _

"_Whatever. I want some coffee…see you later."_

I screamed as things sped up again; the rush of air freaked me out big time. Plus, I was heading for the ground, and I wasn't exactly…sure how to land.

"Deriiiik!!!" I screamed when I got to about twenty feet from the ground. I landed hard, pain shooting up my legs until I skidded right into a train. I felt the full impact, and it knocked the air out of my lungs without fail. I made a choked sound before I fell back, my staff clattering down next to me. Nothing was broken, right? Tears of pain filled my eyes, before I cackled softly. I slipped my feet from the board, sitting up slowly. Yeah, it hurt. No matter what, though, I couldn't pass out…Deepground Soldiers would kill me.

I grabbed my staff, using it to help me stand up. I hissed, it hurt soooooooo much…By the looks of things, I wasn't too far from where Vincent would land…I heard something behind me—a soft click, and the sound of fabric shifting. I turned around carefully, almost smiling. Before I managed to turn all the way, there was a thud, and a "Woo!"

"Hey," I greeted Vincent and Derik weakly. Vincent nodded a bit, red eyes examining the damage done to me by the trail I had…dented?! SWEET!

"You okay?" Derik asked, his face reflecting worry. I nodded, proud of the dent. It was like a landmark on Gaia, a record of my existence here.

"I'm alive," I said, still sore. Obviously. Turning my head to Vincent, I feigned anger. "You didn't tell me how to land pro--" His phone rang, and I let it go. "Just kidding…"

Derik stepped over to me, tapping his gunblade on his shoulder. "What the fuck happened?"

What DID happen?

"I…landed there," I pointed near another train. "Skidded from there…to here. Hit the train."

"You were supposed to jump _off_, God damn…" the blonde sighed, rolling his eyes. I smiled. I was sore, and a little scraped up, but it was wearing down. I'd be walking with a limp for a minute or two, that much was obvious, but I would be fine.

Click.

"_What the FUCK just happened to you?!" _Adam's voice boomed from inside my head, sounding freaked out.

I drew in a sharp breath, gasping in an attempt not to laugh. Derik gave me a worried look, and so did Vincent, and I shook my head. _I hit the train._ I wiped away the tears from earlier. _Derik JUST asked me that!_

"_It's not funny! How the hell did you smash into the train?"_

"Victoria?" Vincent snapped his phone shut and put it away.

"I'm fine, Vincent, I just…I dunno, thought of something that I should save for later. It's not…ow…important." I had moved my left arm funny, and I noticed a larger scrape along my elbow. Not worth a potion, though. Not now. _Adam, it's obvious, isn't it? I'm sorry, but—_

"_Yeah, busy. I'll leave ya alone."_

_Thank you._

Click.

"What was that about?" Derik asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Forget it…" I giggled, covering my mouth. I rolled my left wrist, measuring the pain again. "Did we miss our landing point?"

"Yeah…" Vincent answered, nodding. "That was Shelke. We'll head from the central complex from here."

"Okay then."

"Yeah…crap…I feel kinda stupid right now. Sorry you two…I might be slow for a minute."

Vincent, as usual, only looked at me…he didn't respond. I knew I wouldn't be left behind, though, because we were friends. _Are_ friends.

It was a good feeling—aside from the pain, of course—that I felt as I walked after them both.

"Don't worry about it," Derik said, patting me on the head. I decided not to, too. I began to walk, drawing the Crystal Cerberus from its holster.

"Derik?"

"Hmm?"

"I've got an awesome idea for a doodle when I get home."

"Oh?" he looked at me in a curious way that was utterly adorable, and I had to smile.

"You'll see later…I wouldn't want Vincent only catching part of the conversation and getting confused." I winked, grinning my head off. Derik opened his mouth, about to respond to me.

Instead of getting to say that, all he got out was a pained, "Shit!!!" I screamed with him, panic welling up in my gut as a stream of bullets caught his arm.

"Derik!" I yelled, turning my gaze to the Deepground bastard. Hmm, no, "bitch" worked better. It was a chick. "How _dare_ you?!" Bullets whizzed past me from the woman's gun, before a bullet of my own caught her in the shoulder. She gasped, her gun dropping the ground. Vincent didn't interfere, and neither did Derik. I fired off a few more bullets. She hit the ground. I fired more for safety, up until I had to reload.

My hands were shaking, and my adrenaline was rushing.

"Damn," Derik said, downing a potion, "Thanks, Miss Victoria, but you don't have to flip out like that."

It was so noisy…more soldiers attacked, and Vincent had to help me out, of course. No, no…I was helping Vincent. Not the other way around. Derik was kicking ass, and he seemed a little clumsy with the gunblade at first, but he soon got the hang of it.

A Deepground guy got to close, and Derik brought said gunblade up, running a like right through the chest armor the poor dude wore, up through the chin, and up…until the guy was dead on the ground. I had seen the pause he had taken, staring at the bloodied blade in awe.

Yes, Derik, it is a sharp-sharp.

And yes, I wanted to puke.

"Die, dammit!" A woman choked out, backing up as she frantically shot her gun at Vincent. She was dead a second later, three bullets having pierced her helmet and skull. As I got distracted, a sharp pain shot across my forehead and I was on the ground. A guy had smacked me with the end of his gun.

A familiar rush of energy coursed through my body and I was up—Crystal Cerberus holstered, my staff suddenly it two. I twisted around the guy, the chain against his throat—just below his jaw--and I was pressing my foot against his back. A crack told me he was dead a second later. The rush didn't fade, and I pulled the chain free, turned, and went on a rampage in which I didn't completely control. Until my Limit Break ended, I killed without mercy.

"_Slashed, strangled, and slaughtered. Beaten, stabbed, and crushed. Garroted and impaled. Shot and executed without mercy."_

I'd slept right through the transmission, hadn't I?

Well, _Weiss_…

Can you take…

What you can dish out?

I grinned, snapping my staff together. Neither of my companions saw. I wasn't grinning at my kills, either—I was grinning at the thought of surviving. I was going to live through this all, wasn't I?

Weird. Trained soldiers couldn't kill a skinny little girl. Well, I was tall for my age and all; the size of an adult woman (taller, actually) in this world. I'd killed guys who had been killing most if not all of their life.

Killing…

_You're a murderer now, Tory, and you can't turn back._

I narrowed my eyes at the sound of my own mocking voice, inside my head. It was then that some soldiers approached Vincent. We got a lot of tag-alongs, all more experienced than Derik and I.

I wasn't good with speaking to crowds. But still…I turned, looked them all over and said, "Stay close together, and walk close behind Derik. We're all getting through this alive." I couldn't believe it…

They all looked at me, some seeming surprised, and some irritated. I walked around behind them so I was in back. Vincent looked at me, but I didn't look at _him_. I didn't want to know if he was irritated as well or not.

"Vicky?"

I did, however, look at the face of that girl, the one who spoke. Did I look scary now? The one who said it looked away immediately, seeming wide-eyed. Short, dirty blonde hair, like she had cut it in a hurry.

"A…lida, right?" I said, keeping my voice low. I saw her stiffen as she halted, and suddenly turned to me.

"Yes, Ma'am."

She saluted. My heart sank, seeing her eyes downcast, her face pale. Had I matched up the wrong face to the wrong memory? No, it was her…I slowed down, and she started walking again, partially facing me as her hand dropped.

Suddenly, I understood. She'd changed over the past few days, like I had.

"Call me Vicky," I forced a laugh into my voice. A guy turned around, and I saw a nasty gash across his forehead, instantly causing me to think of Squall.

"That's Carlton?" he asked, raising a brown eyebrow. "She doesn't look like how you described." A few more glanced back briefly.

"What, black and blue?" I sniggered, "No. I'm better."

"I'm glad you're okay," Alida said, shooting a glare to the guy, but smirking a little. There was more…of a disciplined tone in her voice now. "We heard about what happened at WRO headquarters."

What?

Derik looked back at me, smiling, and my eyes widened.

"Yeah, it was pretty noble."

"What?" I scowled, trying not to blush---and failing. "I didn't do anything!" I got smashed into a wall. What's so great about _that?_

"I heard she got smashed up real bad, does she even remember?" A young man with a southern drawl threw in.

"You protected that little girl!"

Protected…

Shelke?

I briefly remembered pulling her close to take the blow. To protect her. But in the end, she saved us all with that materia. And then, _Shalua_…

"…No." I closed my eyes and shook my head, brushing my bangs from my eyes. "It was Doctor Rui who saved us all, in the end." Opening my eyes, I saw worry in Alida's as she glanced at the man. "I was nothing more than a shield…even that didn't last long."

Soon we were attacked, and again I played The Shield, having knocked aside Alida's friend to take the bullet for him, though in the end it was deflected by my staff. I killed the Deepground asshole and held out my staff to pull the guy up, seeings as both of my hands were occupied by weapons. Lightly bopping him on the head with it, I said, "Be more careful."

"Tory, you okay?" Derik asked, and I nodded. Honestly, I was. I was just upset.

"Yes, Dearest Kone, I am." That one was new. "Jeez, I feel like I'm babysitting. Sorry." I turned to the guy, who had his hand on his head where I bopped him. "Sorry to you too. Just don't die, okay?"

"Mr. Derik?" Alida came walking over to Derik, looking rather pleased. "Is the gunblade working alright for you?"

_Oh, _I thought, _She's the one who got him the gunblade!_

"Indeed it is, thank ya vereh much," my goofball of a friend responded, grinning. "Thank you again for your trouble."

"No trouble at all, Sir."

She'd grown up. So had I, but I was still the same in a way.

I was just a killer now.

A killing potion that blocked crap. Wow, go me.

We continued on, and I was getting tired. I was still behind the group, and we all spread out a little during the next attack from Deepground. After it ended, I was panting hard, and tired.

The cool air rushed over my sweaty skin, and I sighed. I saw Alida crouched near a corner, and, curious, I walked over to her carefully. Something was…off about this.

"You know…I was born, here in Midgar," she said. I almost gasped, knowing this conversation already. "My brother and I used to play here all the time. Mom didn't approve, though."

"…Ah…" It was all I could say. Vincent and Derik were behind me now, too.

"When she died, Biggs joined a Shinra resistance group, but was killed when the plate fell and…I can't believe this is all still here…!" So it was Biggs who had been her brother? He was my favorite out of the three who died…

"I'm sorry…" I whispered. "He…died for a noble cause, though. I was so ticked when an older kid left to join SOLDIER, I…" I wasn't going to finish that, no need to make my "story" even harder to recall. "Never mind…plain and simple…your brother…Biggs…was a hero."

Alida smiled at me, tears glistening in her eyes. She stood up straight, when a guy came up.

"Lieutenant! Soldiers!"

After a long while, and some fighting, we got to the WRO commander, a tall black man who even made _me_ feel short. The troops were all obviously glad to see them, and I smiled.

"Vincent Valentine and companions, thank you for your assistance!" He said—I blushed at the recognition. "To reach the central complex, you need to proceed through this maze of decommissioned train cars."

"No problem," Derik tossed in automatically.

"I hope not." He looked to Derik, and then back at Vincent. "I have received reports that beyond the graveyard are some of the enemy's most powerful defenses."

"Fuck."

"Alright," Vincent sighed, already walking out of the small hall, "I'll see what I can do."

"Wait! I can't let you go without backup!"

"That's why we're here," I stated. "Sir," I quickly added, attempting to be polite. "Cid said---" that still sounds funny "It's your job to stay alive. If you come with us, you'll probably die." I paused, my face lighting up red. "I-I don't want that. I'm in no place to order you around, Sir, nor one to make requests…but please…stay here until it's safe."

I saw Vincent give me a look, but it wasn't The Look. It was like he was nodding to me without the actual motion. I inwardly squee'd.

"…Understood." The Commander nodded to me, his deep brown eyes showing something like pride—his next move made my face burn more. He saluted us. "We'll stay here until the current situation improved."

"Good," Vincent said calmly. I looked down at the small heart-shaped, winged gem hanging from my gun before I holstered Crystal Cerberus, saluted, and raced out behind Vincent and Derik.

I'd NEVER saluted anyone. I NEVER wanted to, because I'd been afraid to do it wrong. But I did it, even though I didn't know if it was proper to do it then. But, whatever.

"I can't believe I said anything at all back there," I grumbled, post-nervous shaking wracking my body, "I felt so awkward."

"Believe it then," Derik said, gunblade over his shoulder, "It's done now, and you got the point across without being brash." I looked to Vincent, as if his approval mattered. It did to _me_, but it's not like the fate of the world depended on it.

Ah, yes, the ever-so-slight nod that made me smile.

The next thing that was important in my head, was a totally random question of myself—where it came from, I don't know.

_Would I give my life for him?_

_Yeah. He's like family._

I glanced down, embarrassed. _I don't have much right to call him that…family? _

_He's more of a big brother of a father figure than my Bubba is…He's here for me more._

Robert would do anything to keep me safe…was he on a mad rampage now because I was missing? Was he scared that his baby sister wouldn't come back?

"Derik?"

"Yes, Miss Victoria?"

I nibbled my lip, walking with my staff clutched to my chest. "If I don't make it home, can you tell Bethie, Rob, and Oniichan that I love them?"

"Tory, we're gonna make it out of here," he sighed.

"Derik," I said firmly, staring into his blue eyes. "IF I don't."

"Yeah, of course I would under those circumstances."

"Thank you," I breathed, "I'll do the same for you…"

"Make sure Jeri gets all the gory details of my heroic deeds."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay then."

We were going through trains, around them, and at one point, I climbed up and over one after Vince hopped it. Derik followed, of course, while I called Vincent a cheater again.

We stepped into one train, and I heard a gasp and a click. I wounded, battered WRO trooper was leaning against the seats, breathing hard. He let his arm fall, realizing that we weren't enemies.

"Are you alright?" I questioned, maneuvering around Vincent to kneel next to the guy. "Where were you shot?" He motioned with his head to his right leg—around the shin was soaked in blood, and I grimaced.

"God dammit, we used up all our potions!" Derik sighed, exasperated. I licked my lower lip thoughtfully.

"Vincent?" I said cutely, earning a raised eyebrow and a tilt of his head from everyone's favorite gunslinger. "Do we have, um, any, uh, Limit Breakers left?"

"I haven't used any of the three," he stated, "And you do a pretty decent job of bashing yourself into one."

"C'n I please have one?" The poor dude I was next to looked so confused. Vincent tossed me the syringe, and, after a moment, I had to have him inject it because I was a pansy and afraid of killing myself somehow—I'd been listening to Mama worry to much about needles.

The adrenaline rush was unmistakable, and I was healing the man's leg a minute later, a green light glowing from my hand. There was also some wind picking up, and I realized immediately that I was developing my Limit Break into Healing Wind.

I really, really loved Aerith right then.

"Thank you," the man sighed, not looking like he was going to question it. Yay.

"So…what's up?"

We got a two-minute-speech concerning all the enemies in the area.

"There's no way out of here?" Vincent asked.

"None…I looked all over, but…there's nothing. I guess we're all here."

"Maybe we should call Sh…never mind." I'd forgotten that Vincent does just that at this point, and smiled at him.

"Shelke." After a moment, he talked again. "Can you give us the location? Hm. Got it…" After there was a beep, he pulled back and glanced at his phone screen. Phones a so badass in FF7, they have like, GPS maps and magical all-knowing Shelkes on the other line. The Shelkiness being the only thing really badass, which means the phone itself isn't all that magical.

"Stay here and rest, okay?" I smiled at the man, who looked at me somewhat gratefully. He nodded.

"Shall we go, then?" Derik asked, and Vincent nodded. He walked, we followed. It was as simple as that. Needless to say, we got through everything alive.

It wasn't easy, but we did.

I gasped, diving into one of the cars. Glass shattered above my head and I sobbed. The Shrikes were out to get me and Derik!!!

"Over here!!!" I screamed to Vincent, shifting my staff around in my hand helplessly. I curled into a tiny ball, trying not to hyperventilate as glass landed near and on me.

"Tory, inside your staff there are two slots for materia."

I turned my head, lifting a little to stare at the man in the lab coat, standing in the middle of the train car like nothing was wrong.

"Hunter…" I whispered.

He held three small orbs out to me, and I got on my knees to take them. He dropped them into my palm.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, curling my fingers around the small materia. "Get down, asshole!" I screamed as even MORE of the cracked windows shattered onto me, and I ducked. When I looked up, Hunter was gone.

Just.

Like.

That.

I looked at my staff and at Crystal Cerberus in its holster. Hitting the hidden button, the two halves separated. Yup. Right in the middle of the chain, there were three little blocks with indentations for the materia. Popped the dark purple one in, and then the odd blue one, and finally the green one. I knew that the colors actually matched what their purposes were and didn't categorize them, but…whatever, they might come in handy.

I didn't have to be a genius to know that the green materia was Restore Materia.

I got up, careful of the glass, and climbed out of the train car when all was quiet. I was ashamed of myself for hiding like that.

Instead of The Look, Vincent turned to me and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I responded, smiling in relief. Derik sauntered up to us quickly after, shuddering. I reached up to scratch my cheek—and froze. My nail ran over something, and I rubbed my cheek with the pad of my finger. I followed four small, thin lines. "What? Derik, is something on my cheek?" He looked and shook his head, before nodding quickly.

"Oh, those scars."

Vincent's enhanced vision allowed him to see them immediately. They were spaced out a little bit, one, but they were nearly invisible. It hit me that Chaos had given me these when Vincent was hurt.

"Oh yeah…" I muttered. "Eh, whatever." I didn't think Vincent would ask, but I didn't want him to, either… "Shouldn't we go? The Tsviets are waiting."

We battled our way valiantly through the central complex, and I made use of my new Restore Materia. When Derik asked me about it, I shrugged.

"I didn't notice it until earlier." In Confuzzed, it means, "I'll tell you later." Plus, it was really helping out with saving our troops. I got a lot of thanks, and even a hug from one of the girls for saving her brother. I was taking on the Healer role, and doing quite well at it.

I'd never be as good as Aerith, who had had her skills all her life, and I was just developing them. How the hell had the turned me into an Ancient? It seemed almost impossible.

Then again, I was in a world I had, just a week before this, thought was nothing more than fiction. I was alive there, breathing, and using magic.

I didn't like the term "magic," it made everything sound like a fairytale. Wasn't there someone else who disliked that term? "Mysterious power…" It irked…

Hojo.

Oh, damn, I just compared myself to _him…_

When we finally, _finally_ made it to the top. I spotted one of the people I really wasn't looking forward to fighting. Rosso the Crimson was facing away from us, staring at the moon.

"Rosso!" It wasn't a call of surprise—I was shouting for her attention. Why was I so talkative today?

"Still alive, I see," she said, turning to face us. As she looked directly at Vincent, she spat, "And you call yourself human!"

"More human than you," Vincent countered coolly.

"More human than I?" Rosso laughed, "Tell me something I don't know, darling! I'm a Tsviet!"

"_Why won't they let me out?" _

"_I will kill everything inside until I can get out."_

I shook the memories from my head. I didn't need to pity her. I just needed to kill her.

"I traded away my human weaknesses for power long ago! It is the path I've chosen, and the path I'll tread." The threw up her arms, gazing upward. "Until I've sucked all the life from this pitiful world! And I'm not going to let any of you get in the way. You have lived long enough, Vincent Valentine. And I'll make sure you don't come back this time—by cutting you all into _pieces_!" She pointed her unfurled weapon at us, ready to shoot.

I'm a slow runner, so I knew Rosso wouldn't have a hard time picking me off. She was a speedy demon, and I was the Slowpoke Potion.

"What if we bum rush her?!" I shouted, the mental image of us all tackling and beating the Red Tsviet senseless amusing me.

"I do not know, darling, what do _you_ think?" She said, behind me suddenly. I drew in a sharp breath, ducking hurriedly as her weapon's right blade glided through where my head had previously been. I twisted and jumped, dragging my staff up in an attempt to strike her. She did a beautiful spin, moving out of the way. Derik was suddenly there, Vincent as well.

She flipped back particularly far, landing gracefully on the ground.

"Do you know why they call me the Crimson, darlings? I'll show you!" Rosso hollered, giving off a bright red burst of energy. It blew my hair back, and I flinched.

I didn't even have my eyes open all the way before I hit the ground. I rolled instinctively, drawing Crystal Cerberus and firing towards Rosso. She dodged most, but a few bullets hit. Derik went right up to her, fire engulfing him. I saw him strike along her shoulder, blood spraying. She gave an enraged roar, and I jabbed my staff towards him, using it as a catalyst for my spell.

"Cure!" It healed him just after she knocked him back. I was quite proud of myself for the timing. "Vincent, look out!" Those red exploding orbs I hated were flying toward him, and they got him—he had made a good attempt at dodging, to be honest, but it still stunned him for a minute. That was my cue! I ran towards him, successfully cracking my staff across Rosso's face.

She hit the ground, crying out in pain. Blood was dripping down her temple and running off her cheek. She looked at me, obviously very pissed off. I held my staff in front of me, and I had a look of defiance on my face.

But I felt terribly guilty for that.

"Why you little---" A bang cut off her sentence, and she hit the ground.

Dead.

Turning my head, I saw Vincent was standing again as if it hadn't fazed him, Cerberus pointed but slowly being lowered.

"Thank you," I mumbled, "Vincent." I was truly grateful, once more. My hands were shaking badly. "Derik, how are you?"

"'Mmm'fine." He slurred, smiling at me. I glanced down to Rosso's dead body. Her eyes were still open wide.

"Rest in peace, Rosso the Crimson," I said, watching as Vincent kneeled down to close her eyes. What had I to feel guilty about? She was just another killer…I felt so weird, so I pushed my guilt aside.

"Something wrong?" Derik asked me, also watching as Vincent stood.

"…" I holstered Crystal Cerberus, hand now on my hip. "I want to cry for her." Did I? I didn't know that… "But…I'll save it for later." I thought I saw something red out of the corner of my eye before it went away, and the air became a bit lighter.

"You wanna cry for her? Why?" my friend questioned, his face showing his confusion. I saw a similar, but more mild, form of confusion in Vincent's eyes.

"…She wasn't evil, she was just insane…she didn't chose to be insane. It was all those experiments…Shinra is at fault. Like with Sephiroth—he's not evil either."

"Hm…" Vincent made a thoughtful noise, eyes examining my own, narrowed in his deep thought process.

"I really think that." I paused, nibbling at my lip. "I know about Nibelheim, and about a few other Shinra secrets, and anyone who knows about Nibelheim has a right to be ticked…"

"Tory?"

"I know, Derik, I'm probably rambling again!" I giggled, shaking my head. "…But…" I smiled up at Vincent, who looked kind of sad. I'd reminded him of his sin. I didn't want that! "Shinra, especially that bastard Hojo…they're all at fault. No one else."

I made sure I got the No One Else thing across to Vincent by looking at him hard in almost a glare.

"…They're all victims," Vincent agreed quietly, starting to walk along to our destination, "But they still need to be stopped."

"Indeed," Derik agreed.

"Hn." I glanced once more at my fallen enemy. I hoped she made it to Heaven—or the Lifestream.

"Now to settle the score with Azul," Derik said, blue eyes shining with determination.


	16. Flirting or Complementing?

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Sixteen: the difference between Flirting and Complementing**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts, or any other game. I own only Tory…and my other OCs. Derik owns Derik, and Square owns Alida—I just gave her a name and a bigger part. =D**

**A/N: You reviewed again, Rixah, as always! Thanks! And thanks to the rest of my reviewers and readers as well! Gosh, I'm almost done with this. I dunno how many more chapters it will be!**

**Oh, and my last measurement was wrong. I'm 5'6".**

**Dang…T^T**

**Ah, well, I'm still taller than Rosso. =D**

I felt odder and more out of place than I had ever been in my life, as we approached the Shinra building. A year ago, Cloud had fought Sephiroth here. Backtrack two years past _those_ events, and I had been guiding Cloud through the building to save Aerith. That's where it all started, wasn't it?

…I had hated her. I had stated that I would laugh when she died.

I balled my eyes out, screamed, threw a fit and swore revenge upon Sephiroth's pretty head. I'd been thinking about Aerith a lot, lately. After all, I was what she had been—half Cetra. How the heck did that even happen, though? I'd ask Adam later, I decided. I half-imagined him telling me it was a secret, but they'd all been pretty open about telling me what was going on. But…

Gemini, the company, had accomplished something even Hojo hadn't been able to.

Take that, Hojo-jo-jo!!

I jumped at the sound of a phone going off, and Vincent halted, answering immediately.

He was listening for a moment, while I glanced around. "So it seems," he said in his usual tone. "…We're at the Shinra building…or rather, what's left of it."

I bit my lip, hard.

"Why so nervous Tory?" Derik asked, sauntering over to me.

"This is it," I whispered, my teeth releasing their brutal hold on my lip, "Where it all began…with _her._" I meant Aerith Gainsborough…What I wouldn't give to have her helping us now…irony stings. It burns away at the soul. Especially mine. "It's really big."

"Yeah," Vincent said, starting toward the entrance. He gasped violently, dropping down to one knee.

"Vincent!!" The scream was both mine and Derik's, as was the action we took. We shot forward, and both held him up. It was that red light again—but it died down.

"Vincent…?"

"What is wrong?" I heard Shelke ask from the other end of line.

Vincent's eyes were closed for a moment before he reopened them. "What…" he panted, "What's going on?" He clutched at his chest, sitting up. "Why is Chaos…?"

"Vincent," Shelke sighed from the phone.

"Vincent…Vincent, are you okay? Does it—does it hurt?" I heard something, and rapidly twisted and drew my gun, firing at the mutated DG hound. Derik immediately got up, gripping the handle of his gunblade tightly.

"We should get moving…" He paused, looking down to our temporarily-weakened friend. "Are you alright, Vincent?"

I grabbed the phone, being EXTREMELY careful—It was _**Vincent's**_ for Kira's sake!—and handed it back to him. He took it, slowly standing up. He looked at me for a moment, then up at the sky.

"…" He waited, listening to Shelke. "Chaos…"

I turned away, waiting. I spared a glance at my hands; shaking.

Ha.

I was scared. I could feel it…and my fear, it was my proof. I was still alive, and I wasn't dreaming. Good.

I didn't want to wake up anymore.

"Alright."

"Hmm…" Where was Lucrecia?

"What is it, Tory?" I turned and looked at Vincent.

"It feels like something's not right--" I froze, re-running his words through my head. "hey! That's the first time you've called me Tory!" I grinned.

We began to go up the flight of ruined stairs in the dark building. It was hard to see, but…ah, well, whatever.

"…Let's go," he said quietly.

"…Fine," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "You know, Vincent...something tells me you're more involved in this whole thing than it seems. Considering the whole Protomateria jig, I KNOW you are, but...something's bothering you, right?" I paused again. What right did I have to ask? I wasn't going to ask about Lucrecia. "No, don't answer, it's okay…" I smiled a little at him, until I heard a loud shout:

"Above!"

_Shit. _"Crap!" I echoed my thoughts in PG-13. Vincent still said nothing to me, and I began to shoot, feeling kinda guilty. I'd done It again…sticking my nose where it doesn't belong…

Vincent went down another flight of steps after finishing them off, and Derik and I followed.

I had an idea. "I still owe you an answer, you know!" Vincent slowed down a little bit.

"…An answer…?"

Derik cut down a DG hound before taking the card key around its neck and swiped it through the gate.

"Umm…" I stammered at the unreadable look he gave me. "Before, I, uh…I-I asked you a question…and promised you that I'd ans…answer something…"

"…Save it for later."

Ow! My chest hurt…Kira, he knew how to hit me…even if it was unintentional. But that was cold.

"_Cool? Huh…I guess that's just the way I am, sorry."_

He'd said that to Cloud…I closed my eyes while trying to recall when he said it.

"Okay…that motivates me to stay alive longer," I muttered. It was then that I began to hear something…like a distant call. I pulled Crystal Cerberus on a Deepground soldier as he showed his face from around the corner. "Hey Derik!" I called after a while of going through old halls. I looked around, trying to locate the noise.

"Hm? Yes?" He looked at me, head tilted.

"Do you hear something?"

Derik pointed behind me as he said, "You mean a noise like those bugs?"

I think my heart stopped as I followed his finger. The clicking, scratching noise the swarm of bugs made drowned out the calling noise, and I screamed.

"Oh my GOSH!!! NO!!! Not the bugs!!! Something else but _oh_ _**my**_ _**GOD!!!**_ They're huge!!!" It was that stupid little part where you have to go through the series of large, wall-like doors and such to get away from them. I continued to back up, and I felt some of the materia inside my staff reacting to my adrenaline rush.

"Demi!!!" I cried out, a purple energy flattening out the bugs. Oh, shit, anything but gravity materia!!! "Hey wait, that was kind of cool…"

"Nice work, but not needed Tory," Vincent said, a small chuckle accompanying his voice—something I would have missed a week ago. The doors we had passed all locked down, trapping the bugs outside them. I blushed, twisted my staff in my hands.

"Sorry…" I muttered, giggling, "I panicked."

"No worries," Derik laughed as we started walking again.

"I feel kinda stupid not, though…heh…" It was all dark, and creepy, and it was kind of cold. "Oooohh my gosh, it's sooooooooooooooooooooooofreeeeakin' creepy down here," I added in a whisper.

We walked through a door, into a rather large room. "Is it?" he asked, smiling at me.

I froze. Explosives, everywhere.

_I'm such an---_"Idiot!!" I screamed, "Derik, look out!"

"Hm?" He looked up, at the two Black Widows switching off their cloaking devices. "Vincent, Tory, get behind something." He was looking at the barrels in a way that told me he had an idea.

Damn pyro…

"Ok…ay…" I took his advice, too, but…well, dangit, there was nothing to hide behind!! Vincent was about to fire, but I grabbed his gauntlet hand and started dragging him away. "This could be VERY bad, Vincent," I stated, looking him in the eye.

I don't know what exactly Derik did, but suddenly there was an explosion. Panicking again, I hugged Vincent to me to protect him, and though I wasn't thinking at the time, I later reflected on the fact that he really didn't need _me_ protecting him. I landed, scraping my knuckles on my staff-hand and tearing my right palm up, my staff actually landing a bit away from me.

"Wow, Derik," I coughed, looking at the blonde through the clearing smoke. I then turned my head to the Ex-Turk, who was sitting up from beside me. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Vincent…" I reached for my staff, hissing as I grabbed it. My face was distorting in pain, and I grimaced harder when I saw the not-quite-wounds. "Ugh…"

"Tory, are you alright?" Derik questioned, coughing a little from the smoke as he examined my hands.

I nodded, smiling at him, and even though I had to force it, it was genuine. "Yeah…I just landed funny, is all…" Is all? Is ALL?! Did I just SAY that?!

"…I'm sorry," he said, averting his gaze. I arched an eyebrow high, showing off the signature Carlton Eyebrow. It was close to the manga face where one eyebrow goes way up and the other bends down.

"For what?"

"Nothing…come on…" He followed Vincent into the next room.

"'Kay then…"

As we walked along, we cleared out a room of soldiers, and I didn't want to leave just yet. The glass surrounding every little pedestal of materia had been cracked or shattered.

"Tory?"

"Hm?" I pulled my little supply bag—the one I had had since Shalua told me to take it—and smiled. "No one's gonna miss 'em…besides, they look so lonely here…"

Derik grinned at me as I gave him my best puppy look.

"Tory, we don't have time for this."

"Just a second, Vincent, I can't fit _all _of them in here. I have to be able to zip it." I plucked materia from the pedestals, and with each one, I heard a clattering sound as it joined the others.

Beth had just started playing the game, and the first time she went shopping, I said, "Oooh, materiaaaaa…"

Without meaning to.

"Okay, that's all I can fit." I slung the bag over my shoulder, feeling the materia in my pockets juggle around each other when I walked. Two or three in each of my four pockets. Vincent nodded at me, and I was grateful for his patience. He'd dealt with Yuffie, so he could deal with me.

Materia, thankfully, is not that heavy.

Eventually, we made it to the room with the bridge going over the bottomless pit of death, and Vincent brought out his phone and dialed a number. I caught beeps, and he hung up, about to put it away before it rang again. I heard a voice…

"**Hey, I got through!" **

"Tifa?" Vincent asked, looking up.

Derik's imaginary neko ears perked straight up. "Tifa?"

"**Wha? You got through?! Yo, Vincent, you still alive?!"**

I put my finger to my lips. "Shh, Derik, he's on the phone!"

"But…" he began to protest, his face going into I'm-A-Sad-Little-Puppy mode (or, more proper for him, Kitty). "But…but…but…Iz _Tifa…_"

What the heck was he doing? He could blow our cover!

Tifa said something, but I couldn't hear over Derik. Vincent glanced at him for a second, before returning his gaze to space.

"Tifa…Derik says, 'Hello'," the gunslinger said.

"Tifa…you know her?" I asked my blue-eyed neko buddy, and attempting to feign ignorance. I didn't know that Derik was a Tifa fanboy…

"Tifa says hi, Derik," Vincent stated, once again glancing over at us. A moment later, my ears picked up the sound of a voice I could have heard from a mile away.

"**Vincent?"**

I felt a smile spread across my face, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside from hearing…

Oh, GOD no!!

"It's been a while, Cloud."

"…" I caught the look Derik was giving me.

"Hm? Cid's airship?" I tensed at hearing Vincent say this.

"**Yeah, we……….about……minutes ago."**

"What now?" I whispered, tension causing me to get dizzy.

"And what about you?" Vincent continued.

"Shh, he's on the phone Tory."

"Hypocrite!!" I snapped, my face reddening when I realized it. "Sorry, Vince."

He looked back around.

"…Right." Another moment passed. "…and Derik and Victoria."

"Whut now?"

I promptly smacked myself across the face. A little more time passed. Tifa talked, Barret cut in, and Cloud finally said,

"**Don't go getting yourself killed, now."**

"Yes…" Vincent looked at Derik, and then at me. What the fudge was that look?! "Tifa, Derik says goodbye and good luck, Cloud, Tory says the same for you."

"Who's Cloud again…? I didn't say--" I stopped, mid-sentence, blushing a bright red. "Okay, I was thinkin' it…" I sighed and spoke loudly. "I wanna meet you in person after the battle's done, so don't get _your_self killed, 'kay?"

"**It might be fun to meet you too,"** Cloud replied over the phone, which honestly surprised me. **"Just don't die." **

I didn't know what to say!!! So I settled with sounding like an embarrassed schoolgirl. "O-okay, that sounds…fair."

"**Take care, Vincent. Good luck…"**

"Hmph. You too." With that, Vincent hung up the phone.

_He TALKED to me!!!_ I inwardly squealed, keeping myself calm though. "Okay, um, is Cloud your friend or something?"

Vincent turned to me and tilted his head, hiding his mouth from my view. "Do you know Cloud?"

"Ummmm…I--" Just say no, just say no, just say no… "I _think_ I know who you're talking about…"

"We've heard of him and, say, him and Tifa once or twice with the whole delivery thing."

"…I see."

I jumped. "So _that's_ why their names sound so familiar!" I was surprised by how real that sounded.

"Yeah," Derik responded, smiling a little.

So, feeling a bit more confident, I asked, "Isn't he the one with, like, chocobo-butt hair?"

"Yeah," Derik answered.

I glanced at Vincent. Oh yes, my dearest Vincent, I saw that smile—I SAW, rather than heard, you chuckle. Ye hath been caught-eth.

I don't know what got into me, but when we started walking again, I poked Vincent gently in the side of his head.

"You have pretty hair while we're on the subject," I said, not meaning anything in THAT particular way. He really had lovely hair! He gave me a weird little look that I couldn't quite put words to.

"And you thought I was flirty on the Shadowfox…"

I gasped sharply, my face heating up instantly. "I didn't mean it in THAT way, DERIK!!!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the emptiness around us in the underground open-space. "Besides, when I say I like older guys, I don't mean TWENTY-YEAR-OLDS!!!"

"Suurrrrre…" Derik grinned. He cracked his neck, obviously trying to keep lose. "If you say so…" I didn't have to crack anything—my stupid double-jointed-everywhere-ness was as loud as ever.

"Shut up!!" I squeaked, "I've never flirted in my life!!!"

"If you say so…"

"Grr!! I wouldn't waste a perfectly good relationship—FRIENDSHIP—by flirting!! It's stupid, pointless, and I'M NOT INTERESTED, OKAY?!" Vincent just went walking with us, simply listening. "If I _was_ flirting…I'd make a better comment about how pretty his eyes are."

"Flirting isn't pointless...when its necessary...I mean...oh never mind." My face paled at Derik's comment, and then flushed again.

"Besides, I…hate relationships like that." I turned my head to Vincent, who was still listening to us. I was red, but whatever. "But I'm not gonna lie, Vincent, your eyes are amazing…"

He responded. Vocally. "Thank you…" he said quietly, and I felt lighter.

We were sitting in the elevator, going down. Vincent was standing in his signature pose, Derik was sitting cross-legged on the ground, and I was lying down to rest.

I closed my eyes. The screams were loud now, and I couldn't quite shut it out. "Hey Derik…"

"Hm? Yes?"

I shut my eyes tighter, frowning. "I hear the voices…they're crying out, and, and unhappy…"

Derik sat there for a minute. "Think of them as motivation…to put an end to their cries."

"...Everyone in Deepground once had a free will, and friends, and family...But Shinra took it away from them...Rosso, Azul...Nero, and Weiss. Two of which we have yet to encounter." I was feeling bad about something I shouldn't…again.

"Tory." I looked up at Derik. "Does it pain you, to take their lives?"

"It does...it makes me want to scream and cry and destroy everything... But that would just make you suffer...you and others. Shinra...is to blame for everything."

"I'm not asking about Shinra...I'm asking about you and your feelings..."Derik stood up, holding his blade over his shoulder. "If it helps...think of us as angels...coming down to free these soldiers from their tortured bodies...to bring them the only peace they can ever have now...death."

I thought about it…when I shifted, the materia clattered in my bag and pockets. Finally, I smiled, and giggled. Us? Angels? "Angels…I like that."

"…Tory…Vincent…" Derik said a while later as we stopped near an elevator entrance.

"Hm?" Vincent hummed.

Derik then said the craziest thing ever to come out of his mouth: "When we encounter Azul, let me deal with him."

"Not a chance!!!" I shouted.

"Tory...you almost died from one hit from him...and you and I both know the only way we can kill him...and...it'll be easiest for me, yours and Vincent's bullets wont work on him....you know that Tory."

Tears were already making their appearance. "Derik, I…" I took a steadying breath. "I know that…but I don't want YOU to die, either!"

"I know Tory, but you know I wont let myself die....besides, I was told to do something by Emily...something that means if you don't let me fight him without you, then I'll have to make you let me..."

I went on the defensive. "Pfft! _Excuse _me?! Make me?!"

Derik glared at me, completely serious. "Yes…"

I put my right hand on my hip, tightening my grip on my staff. "And how do you intend on carrying that out?"

"…How don't I intend on it? You're easily knocked out, Tory."

"I---no, I…Fine! Just…just take Vincent at least…" _I'm not THAT easy to knock out…_

"Vincent…stay behind with Tory too please…"

"Are you sure you can handle him?" Vincent asked.

I tried to stop him, but there's no arguing with Derik, as I have stated before. Vincent was on his side, too. So there he was, about to enter the elevator without us.

"Please, Derik, don't die," I begged, wiping away tears with the back of my hand, my glasses sitting behind my bangs.

"I'm not gonna die, Tory," he promised, smiling at me like he was about to roll his eyes. "But I gotta do this."

"Since when do you make decisions?!" I demanded, stomping my foot like a little girl. He'd always make ME decide what to do…Always! "Why the change?!"

"Since I made a promise," he sighed. "Before I went to sleep, I promised I'd protect you. And that, Tory, is what I intend to do."

Vincent put his clawed hand on my shoulder, and I sighed shakily, placing my own hand over his. Despite my distraught state of mind, my focus did, for a moment, go to the odd tension the gauntlet made me feel. It was dangerous, but I knew I was safe.

Derik turned around and walked the rest of the way down the hall, hitting a button, and entering the elevator. I thought it would be the last time I saw him. I curled my fingers a little more tightly around Vincent's hand.

_Vincent…thank you…I only met you a week ago, but I've known you for years…_

Do bonds really form that quickly? If said bonds are meant to be—no matter what kind—they do.

**Okay people, chapter sixteen's up. Review if you can, but don't strain yourself.**

**Also, if you wanna see some of my art, I'm Xiactorvi on Deviant Art.**


	17. The Beginning of the End

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Seventeen: The Beginning of the End**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dirge of Cerberus, FF7, Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts, or anything else of importance along those lines that I might mention in here.**

**A/N: Chapter seventeen is finally here, everyone! Thanks to one of you wonderful reviewers, it was pointed out to me that you can't search usernames on Deviant Art. I apologize, I'm still getting used to the site myself. www . xiactorvi . deviantart . com, or http: // xiactorvi . deviantart . com / art / DoC – Tory – 122747739 for my pic and for Derik, http: // xiactorvi . deviantart . com/ art / Derik-122526252**

**Another thing, I apologize. Derik's hair is ash brown, not dirty blonde like I thought. And, he was too lazy to correct me…AGH!!! Sorry for the confusion.**

**Ooh! I almost forgot!! Cloud's brilliantly in-character-ness is the amazing work of Derik!! So, yeah, I didn't see Cloud's response to what I was saying coming. Woot, surprise, surprise!**

**The reasons for the delay include my brother and I fighting for the first time with actual screaming (drunk bastard) and my thirty-year-old horse passed away…I'm sorry, everyone, but my life's a huge pit in hell about now…I wasn't sitting around being lazy the whole time…**

**I'm officially a freshmen in high school. =3**

I'd just let my big brother figure walk into an elevator that he might never return from.

"_I've notified Emily of Subject B's current status."_ I jolted as I heard Adam's voice out of the blue, tightening the not-so-loose grip I had on Vincent's hand still.

"What's wrong?" he asked, doing that adorable head-tilting thing again.

"Nothing…I'm okay," I sighed, letting his hand fall from my shoulder. _Thank you, Adam._

"_In case of emergency, he will be withdrawn from Gaia."_

I thanked him mentally again, standing in silence with my back to Vincent. Before—I don't know when it stopped, but—I'd have stayed behind him instead, paranoia wanting me to keep an eye on him at all times.

Pushing fear aside, I began to hum Aerith's theme, which was one of my favorite themes from the game—just below One Winged Angel. The tune made me think of her—I hadn't had too much time to think lately, so it was nice to just close my eyes and watch those little poorly-done characters walking around, text appearing in customized multicolor neon boxes…And then Advent Children, and when she was in Crisis Core…

I'd always done characters with swords or guns—one character had a staff, but that didn't mean _I_ wanted one. If Aerith was here, everyone would be so much better off than they were now.

"…This sucks."

"Hm?"

"Everything sucks right now…I hate it sooooooo much, I just—" I was cut off by a loud, viscous roar, though I could barely hear it from where I was standing. I definitely felt the vibrations through the floor. I went from talking to sobbing, thinking the worst for my friend. But as sickeningly shameful as it was for me, the feeling didn't last long—I wasn't worrying.

If Derik was dead, he'd tell me. I was a Cetra, wasn't I? My powers weren't as great as Aerith's, but…but I'd still be able to sense him go.

"_If he dies before Emily can get him outta there, yes."_

I sighed, wiping away tears at Adam's response to my thoughts.

"…" I looked at Vincent, hearing him exhale softly. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah…" Another roar, this time even fainter. Derik was still down there. "A—Azul hasn't k-killed him yet."

More roars and ten minutes later, the doors to the elevator swung open. I saw a sweaty, panting blonde gazing tiredly at Vincent and I.

"…Derik!!" I shouted after realization struck me. I nearly glomped him, but quickly slowed my tackling-hug for fear of injuries.

"…Hey Tory," he said quietly, but with a smile on his face. Vincent stepped onto the elevator with us.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I told him, pausing before continuing, "Were you hurt?"

"Not enough for you to worry," he said. I worried. "Just tired…" I pulled back, suddenly getting a whiff of blood. I turned my head, and found myself unable to scream or move.

"Omigosh…" I felt dizzy. Azul's body was covered in a blue substance that I realized was where the coppery smell came from. It was _blue blood!!_ There were wounds, and his face was horribly disfigured. And… "He's…" I swallowed, trying to force the word out. "S…smiling…" It was sickening—but, after a moment, I realized that it wasn't that arrogant, malicious grin I'd seen before. Azul had a—still creepy—satisfied grin.

Again: it was still creepy. Almost as creepy as the voices I was hearing.

Derik passed me, slowly lowering himself into a sitting position. "…He met his angel," he said.

"Yeah," I responded, tearing my eyes from the sight, "I like—ow!" Something hit my head, not heavy enough to do damage or even hurt (I have a really hard skull), but I was head shy as it was, and it took my off guard.

"Hmm?" Vincent hummed, glancing to the spot the…thing had fallen.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as I heard a particularly loud voice-thing and looked up, watching wisps of black fade. "Ne…Nero!!"

"…" Vincent picked up the object, and I realized rather quickly that it was Shelke's phone.

"That's Shelke's isn't it…?" I asked, biting my lip. Anger and worry fleetingly glimmered in Vincent's crimson eyes.

"Yes…" he said, his grip tightening on the phone. I didn't know why, but I felt my anger flaring…Shelke would be fine.

"Ghh…NERO!!!!" I _screamed_, definitely louder than I had this whole time, "Show yourself, you _COWARD!!_"

It was _that_ feeling again. The urge to kill, smash, tear, cut, and kill…I dropped to the ground and punched the metal floor, still screaming. No one stopped me. I needed to vent at least a little, and I think they understood.

Some time later, I was lying on my side and clutching my staff, breathing normally again. Vincent was sitting down for once, in his usual relaxed position. That was the first time I saw him like that for real. He was looking down, an odd expression on his face.

Oh.

The flashback.

"Lucrecia…used me to…" he stopped mid-sentence, pain glittering in his eyes.

"Vincent?" I asked, not meaning to. "What's wro--"

"It's nothing," Vincent said quickly, looking at me for a second.

"You sure?" Derik called over his shoulder.

Vincent didn't respond, and I felt kinda bad. I wanted to hug him, but I didn't want him to feel awkward, like I sort of did the first time I hugged him. More nervous hugs following the Non-Flirty Moment would seem REALLY bad.

_Even if I love 'im like family._

Whoa, wait, WHAT?

My face lit up, and I rolled over to my other side so I was facing away from the ex-Turk. Was he like family to me? I'd gladly give my life for him if it was necessary, it was becoming easier to joke around with him, I was talking to him more than I usually did with my older brother…

But I'd only known him for a week…

Derik was like a brother too…thinking that, I compared my feelings for the two.

Vincent protected me, occasionally laughed (chuckled) at my stupidity, was closer to me than my blood brother, and Derik…

I had known Derik for a couple years, we talked all the time,wrote "wuvs u" while we were RPing…

I would never openly admit that I love Vincent like family for fear of him avoiding me.

Derik is cute, girls giggle when he passes, I'd NEVER consider dating him. That would be damn near incest.

Vincent is drop-dead SEXY, girls at home would gawk and/or drool, and I wouldn't consider dating him…now that I actually knew him.

Conclusion?

Yes. Vincent was like a very-much-older brother. A brother I was shy around, but more open with than with my _actual_ brother.

Was it a mistake, letting myself get attached?

I gasped a bit dramatically as the elevator jolted, finally hitting the bottom. We got to our feet, and I looked at the huge door. Vincent did not voice his thoughts, so I took a chance and spoke up.

"This is it," I whispered, the mako reactor far away and the city coming into view. "We can't afford to die, or else…"

"It'll be too late," Derik finished my sentence—as I was unable to. "But we're not gonna."

Deepground was NOT as I remembered it. There were far more soldiers, and many seemed desperate to live, while others went down with determination. There were more pathways, and we were almost lost a few times.

We kept going. I was exhausted and angry, and had to let my magic recharge so I could heal us again if necessary.

…Dang it…I hate that stupid word!! But it's not like we could call it mana, because this isn't a Tales game or anything.

Ah, man, that sucks.

Well, finally, something noteworthy happened.

Derik and I were next to each other on a narrow bridge, and Vincent was ahead. Gears were turning rapidly; I was on high alert. I saw a speck of darkness widening as Vincent stepped over it, and he made a move to pass it. Reaching for him and crying out in surprise, I pulled him _back_ and away from it. For a split second I thought,

_Jee, he must be tired of me pulling him around like this!_

The second passed, and Vincent and I were both being pulled forward. I screamed, and felt Derik pulling my shoulders. I couldn't let go of Vincent—my hands were _glued!_

"Hang on!!" Derik shouted, his voice partially muffled as my head was finally engulfed by the darkness.

The silence surrounding me was killing my ears, and my eyes began to water. I bit back a sob, distantly hearing Vincent screaming, though I knew I was against his back. I couldn't see. I sensed Derik behind me, though everything was so loud, cluttered, and shouting.

_Stop, no, can't think stop it too loud crying voice stop can't hear feel talk—_

My head felt ready to burst, sharp, near-electrical pains shooting though it. I screamed, my voice hitting a note I didn't know it _could_. And then, silence ensued. Nothingness.

After a one second-long eternity, there was a light, small at first, and then growing. A voice was speaking…who was it, and what was it saying? The light grew, and grew, until I suddenly saw normal light.

Gradually I became more aware of everything around me, and soon I realized that I was huddled against Vincent's back for support. He was leaning forward, catching his breath, and I let go in an attempt to make it easier on him—and fell backwards. Sure, Derik caught me, but was forced to kneel in his own weakness. We were both shaking rather violently.

"…We need to go," Derik said after a minute, helping me to my feet.

"We…we don't have enough time to stop…" I added, stumbling forward.

"…Right." Vincent nodded to the both us.

My heart was pounding, and I feared I would pass out because everything seemed so bright and…

I didn't have another word, but everything seemed like I was looking through a screen all over again. And, I felt like something was missing, but I wouldn't dwell on it.

We continued through Deepground, and a few times we found intact houses—not just collapsed, broken heaps. Suddenly, we were attacked, and the three of us spread out. I tried not to let my nervousness set in, knowing I had to defend myself. I appreciated the confidence Vincent and Derik had in me, though.

I flinched, jerking my head to the left to dodge a bullet fired in my direction. I turned to aim and fire at the woman who did it. It hit her in the shoulder, and she went down fast. I fired again, shooting her through the helmet.

Turning my head, I cast Demi to flatten out some guys that were after me. The butt of a gun struck me, and I backed up as the guy prepared to do it again.

"You're SO annoying!!!" I screamed, striking him where it counts with my staff (ignore how bad that sounds, please). He cried out, doubling, and I kicked him in the stomach angrily in an attempt to knock him over. He grabbed my foot and swung me to the ground. Panicking, I screamed and struggled, and fired my gun. I'm not sure exactly how many times I hit him or shot him, but he died, and I got up and continued fighting.

…_It still bothers me, you know?_ I laughed lightly in the confines of my mind, directing my words toward Adam._ I mean…I don't cry over it anymore but…Adam?_

Silence. I guessed he was getting coffee or something. _Ooh, coffee. I want some coffee when I get home._ Moving on, I decided to ignore it. We walked further and further into Deepground, and finally, we were heading down a path that I recognized almost instantly. The voices screaming from nearby helped me confirm my suspicions.

Vincent exhaled a little louder than normal, and I understood why. Plumes of darkness decorated the debris-filled path, and they gave off a cold feeling as my feet got a little too close to one. Finally, as we stepped out into a more…_open_ area, I turned my head to the Dark Tsviet, Nero the Sable.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Vincent," Nero said, catching the attention of Vincent. I think Derik had already seen him.

"Nero," Vincent replied in a cold, angry voice. I almost shuddered.

"At first, I thought you nothing but a nuisance…however, it seems I can no longer let you run about _unchained._ I must protect my beloved brother." One of my favorite characters from all the games I had ever played…I was meeting him at last. But there was a problem.

I felt dizzy…his accent flowed smoothly through the muzzle-type contraption around his face, not at all muffled…

The breath I drew in was unmistakable; I'd done it enough to know what it was: a fangirl gasp. I felt butterflies in my stomach, and a blush creeping up on my cheeks. Thank _Minerva_ Vincent said something before either of my two friends could see it.

"Your brother?" the gunner echoed.

"_Dear_ Weiss…_powerful_ Weiss." My stomach churned, and I closed my eyes. Here came the part I _hated_. "The only person who has ever loved me, and the only person I will ever love."

_Don't make assumptions like that while you still have time to live,_ I thought, tears filling my closed eyes for a brief moment.

"However…" Nero continued, his voice sounding almost…like it was cracking under the pressure of emotion. My eyes opened. He sighed. "Ah…but all that is forgotten."

"What did you do with Shelke?" Vincent demanded sternly, eyes narrowing further than they already had.

"Shelke?" he repeated, "Ah, yes, what _did_ I do with her? I do recall running into the lass, when I journeyed to the airship. A feisty one, she is."

_Way to go, Yoda._ Oh, jeez, I could _imagine_ the amused smile beneath the muzzle. My chest tightened, and I glanced down at my gun, hoping I had reloaded it beforehand—I'd been kind of busy trying not to _die_ to think.

"_Cid's airship?"_

"_We lost contact about fifteen minutes ago."_

"That doesn't answer the _question _he asked!" I hissed, causing Nero's attention, as well as those beautiful, maddening red eyes, to drift to me. The Dark Tsviet sighed in a near-impatient way that almost made me smirk.

"The girl," he paused, his eyes seeming to scan me for weaknesses, though just a shot or two from him could probably kill me… "Is inside me." My lips twitched into a scowl. "Lost, like a little puppy."

Vincent drew his gun, and Derik stepped into a comfortable battle stance, as did I.

"Ah, so you wish to dance…" Nero assessed, amusement once again glittering in his beautiful vermillion eyes. He lifted off the ground, darkness roaring—seemingly right next to my ears—and drew his guns.

"Tch!" Bullets flew towards me, and I crouched down—and _jumped_. I flew back, into a complete back flip which was _way_ too far off the ground to be humanly possible, before I landed, pain shooting up my legs. It delayed my standing properly for half a second, and I was shooting again. Okay, so just because I _could_ do a completely badass back flip like game characters can didn't mean I _should _have.

"Barrier!!" I shouted, completely on impulse, blocking a round of fast-flying bullets headed towards Derik. The bounced off the barrier I had successfully created and I grinned. He smiled

and nodded briefly at me before running at Nero and swinging his gunblade. Vincent shot, braving death as always as he ran forward and got rather close to Nero.

The black-haired Deepground soldier ducked forward and crossed his arms over his chest so that he could wildly spin around, the sharp blades on the mechanical wings slicing and cutting the barrier I had set up around Derik. Cursing mildly under my breath, I moved in closer and shot as Nero stood back up straight, and—oh my gosh—stumbled for a moment. I felt my chest tighten again. I saw him wince as one of my bullets grazed the side of his neck.

"Sorr—" I cut myself off, almost apologizing to the person who was trying to kill my companions and myself as Nero lifted back into the air to continue shooting. Suddenly my vision blurred and I blinked, feeling something wet roll down my cheek. I'd been shot, but I had to ignore it for now. It stung like a _bitch,_ though it had only grazed my wrist.

"Cure!!" I shouted, directing my energy to Vincent. I repeated the cast for Derik.

I'm not sure, but it seems that some enemy characters in games go after the healer in the party sometimes. Apparently, it wasn't just me.

"I'll show you _true_ darkness," Nero hissed lowly, darkness surrounding him before multiple copies appeared and spread out—one directly behind me.

"Barrier!" I screamed as he ducked forward and spun—I felt it making contact with me, but it was like it was through plastic wrap or something—until the barrier broke, and the blades were cutting across my collar bone. I sobbed in pure, undeniable agony as I tried steadying myself with my staff. Everything blurred, and I wanted to pass out or blank out or _something _as I tried to heal myself and keep up with the cruel onslaught. "C-cure," I choked, the magic barely taking effect. My back hit the ground, air knocking out of my lungs. Vincent and Derik were busy, so busy, with their own problems—Nero wasn't as weak as he seemed. I couldn't call them over just to help me.

"Close your eyes to the sweet song of the darkness," Nero said, and I looked at him through my tears. I was looking at a man, but at the time I saw a monster…a monster without a heart.

I felt the ground beneath me change, and I tried to move as I felt the cold darkness rising.

"Adam, help!!!" I cried, desperately trying to sit up and get back into the remaining light.

"No!!" I sobbed as I was encircled by a cloud of thick darkness. "Stop it!!!" I couldn't move, I could barely breath, and I could barely hear my voice over the roaring darkness. "Someone…Someone help me!!!" I began to swing my staff, surprising myself. It made the darkness move like a cloud of smoke, but it always came back. "Help…" I whimpered, "Bethie, Mommy, I'm so sorry…" I had wanted desperately to see them again, but now…it seemed like it had all come to an end.

Isn't it ironic, that I was being killed by my favorite character? Would Bethie laugh, or keep crying after Derik relayed the story to her? No, death would be merciful…this was _torture_.

I felt myself drifting…I saw a light…and then I passed out.

The next thing I recall was me laying on the ground close to someone else, and listening to a familiar female voice…ranting?

"Are you alright?" Vincent asked, stirring my mind from the sleepy state I had been in.

"I…I don't know…maybe I was dreaming…"

"Vin…" I muttered, bracing myself on a rubbery arm as I sat up.

"Y'okay?" Derik asked, helping me up.

"…" I blinked up at him, lips to…numb to get anything else out for a moment.

"Hey!! Hey, over here, guys!!" Yuffie—I remembered who now—hollered, jumping up and down. She fell, skidding down onto the ground and whimpered.

"Oh no," Derik gasped, sarcastic or not I don't know, running over to her side. "Did you scratch your cute face up? Are you okay?"

Vincent looked away and sighed.

"Shelke…?" the girl turned onto her back so she could loll her head around to look at me. I smiled, my arm finally giving out, and slammed my head onto the ground. "Nph…did you save me?"

She turned her head, sitting up slowly. "Perhaps you could…call it that, but…" she trailed off softly, and I almost aww'd.

"Can either of you two walk?" Vincent questioned as he slipped an arm under my back and sat me up.

"I…" I was still holding my weapons? Wow. "Y-yeh…" I moved rather awkwardly, using my staff to stand—I wobbled, but stayed up.

"I'm sorry…" Shelke said quietly, swaying in her sitting position a little, "I…I don't think so…" Before she could say another thing, Vincent picked her up. Derik came back and helped me walk, and the feeling slowly returned to my legs.

"Hey, Yuffie…" I muttered, patting the short ninja on the head as I stumbled ahead with Vincent and Derik.

"How are you?" she questioned, smirking as she swatted my hand away in mild offense. "You look hurt…"

And then, pain struck my chest as I was reminded of the wound—which had practically healed, but it was sore and covered in not-quite-dry blood.

"I hate you."

"Wh—what did I do now?!?!"

_Mind over matter…agh, why did she remind me…? _

I thought, at the time, I had done something to make Adam ignore me, but…

A while later, we were standing in Shelke's little area, and Vincent had set up the regenerative tube for her.

"Will you be alright?" the gunner asked softly, and Shelke blinked sleepily.

"Yes." She looked so much like the little girl she wasn't, shouldn't be, but was.

"So, let me get this straight! You three keep going, find Nero and Weiss, and smack 'em into next Tuesday. And while you're cleaning house, I sneak into the reactor and shut her down." She twirled and giggled. "Sounds like a plan!" I saw Derik smile. "So, see ya around, Vince, Tory, Derik!"

We began to move out, but I stopped when I heard, "Victoria Carlton?"

"Umm…" I turned to Vincent and he nodded, and I practically scurried over to the tank…I momentarily recalled Shelke calling Vincent over originally, but…I stopped in front of her, and I saw an unsure look in her blue eyes.

"Victoria…perhaps now isn't the time…" she went on another second, but I couldn't hear what she said.

"Pardon?" I said, moving a bit closer to the tank.

"I know that now isn't the time," she said a little more loudly, "and it doesn't even matter anymore, but…During my SND in Kalm I could not see you with Vincent Valentine…" Dread twisted in my stomach. But…wait, that one soldier had seen me…

"Maybe it was a glitch…?" I offered, figuring Gemini probably had some sort of a cloaking device so she couldn't spot me…or something. "I mean, the soldiers saw me."

She closed her eyes, reopening them with a little required effort.

"I'm sorry…it was unnecessary…" she stated quietly. "…You…"

"I…?" I pressed, trying to keep her awake.

"…You act without thinking…you were hurt because you helped me…thank you…"

"…You're welcome," I replied, quickly wiping away my tears, "Get some rest, okay? I'll see you later, munchkin…" Those big blue eyes drifted shut and I caught up with Vince and Derik, who had started moving upon realizing our conversation was over.

"You're crying."

"I know, Derik, but she's so freaking cute…" I squeaked, smiling.

**Sorry, I desperately need Derik to help me with the next chapter… O.o**


	18. Black and White

**Dirge of Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Eighteen: Black and White**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FF7 or anything affiliated with it, Square Enix, or…well, anything else of importance.**

**A/N: Umm, I'm starting this chapter without Derik, and I might finish it without him. My point being, Kone-sama will be kind of OOC throughout this chapter…most likely. So dude? I know you're gonna read this…I NEED YOUR FREAKIN' HELP!!! IM me, Deeeriiiiik….I'm not good with angsty people!!! You need to contact me or I might not be able to finish this….plz???**

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**Also, I apologize for the fangirl moment in the last chapter…I haven't gotten complaints, I probably won't, but I had honestly thought I had…edited those parts out…heh….;;**

"Okay," I sighed, glaring at the gargoyle who I had planned on ignoring, while standing up after being knocked down a third time. "I'll save you." I fired a round off, reloaded, and finally managed to kill it. It gave a cry and fell into the huge mako pit below us. "Jeez…" Neither Derik or Vincent had been too concerned about me, because the gargoyles were weak and I could take a few hits…I was building up a limit break pretty fast, and that would undoubtedly come in handy later.

"…" Derik heaved a sigh, swinging his gunblade down at his side before bringing it back to his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, earning a rather…distant look from my friend.

"Nothing…" he sighed.

"You've been awfully quiet for a while now," I reasoned, "so I figured something was wrong…just tired?"

"Mm, something like that. It doesn't help that I have to pee really Goddamn bad…" he mumbled. That earned him a choked-sounding snort from me and a funny look from Vincent.

Silence ensued, and we pushed on. The only thing noteworthy for a while was the growing amount of gargoyles attacking, along with that one room with all the people shooting at you from the center pillar (it's gotta be my least favorite part of the game). After barely making it out of there alive, we had to take a short break, and we used most of our remaining few potions, the citrus taste actually pretty sour to me at that point.

There was more fighting, battles, more death…I was used to it by far now, but I still hated it. The injuries came close to unbearable, but even then I was stubbornly refusing Derik's attempts to get me to drink potions. Only when Vincent sighed and looked at me did I drink one. He gave me a satisfied look, and Derik got a "Yay I Win A+" look.

Finally, we came to a room with a narrow pathway over the mako pit—the voices louder now than ever. The Dragonfly PT, practically covered in gargoyles, appeared. Vincent took it down with ease while Derik and I took care of the gargoyles (though that was mostly Derik; I was back casting Cure.)

After it sank about five minutes later, we walked ahead and Vincent entered a code near the large door. It opened, and we walked in and stopped. Vincent cast a look around and said, "Yuffie."

Said ninja leapt down from above, landing in front of us. I'd jumped a little—I never managed to remember this part, to my own silly amusement. She looked over us, and attempted a sad try at a smile.

"You guys don't look too roughed up," she stated, her usual excitement failing her.

Truth is, we probably didn't—she'd seen much worse.

"Neither do you," Vincent replied. We all turned to the door ahead.

"In there, huh?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah." Vincent paused for a moment, before nodding to the three of us. "Come on." So we walked into the reactor, the very _heart_ of Deepground. Yuffie and Vincent both gasped as they stopped, while Derik's eyes just widened, and I stiffened a little.

In the center of the room was a throne, and collapsed, dead, in it was…

"Is this…" Vincent began, and I spoke up.

"Weiss the Immaculate…Emperor of Deepground, and apparently Nero's older brother," I said shakily, and Yuffie looked at me. Though dead, the man sent chills down my spine and frightened me to no end…It was really, really creepy.

"It's—he's—it's _dead?!_" I opened my mouth to point out that Weiss was not an _it_, despite the fact that he had pretty, girly hair. But I kept my mouth shut, because I knew, at this point, Nero was behind us. I could hear him, and that itself is what alerted the four of us of his presence.

"But not for long…" he said airily. To shorten conversation, (I mentally shot myself beforehand) I cut in.

"You're infusing Weiss with Omega…like Vincent is with Chaos." EVERYONE looked at me for that one, and I mentally shot myself again, blushing at the awkward attention. Vincent's look of…surprise? Confusion?...especially.

"Precisely, girl." Nero gave me a look that I saw as mock praise, though he could have been seriously pleased by the fact that I wasn't as stupid as I probably seemed to him.

"Wait, but---what??" Yuffie squeaked, putting a hand on her head in confusion.

"Soon, my dear brother will awaken…" the Dark Tsviet said, gazing lovingly at his brother's body, "It seems like an eternity has passed…since I was granted the knowledge of rebirth…"

"Granted?" Vincent echoed.

"By who?" Yuffie asked, still squeaking nervously.

Nero didn't respond because he didn't have a chance to. The ground began to shake beneath me, and the light given off by the mako in the pit beneath Weiss grew and intensified.

"What?!"

"Omega?!"

"Wait!!" I shouted, trying to stop the two from raising their weapons at Weiss.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!!!!" Nero screamed, sending a beam of darkness at us.

"Move!!" I shouted, shoving Derik out of the way. It felt like I was hit with a wall a second later—a big, black wall that was suffocating me, and I could no longer see.

"…Crap," I whispered after a minute, barely able to hear myself over the noise of the darkness. It quieted a second later, and I struggled to turn my head to a growing light. Seeing it, I thought it was Vincent. I reached for it. "Vincent…?" A pale hand closed around my own, and I gasped.

"Tch. He gets the credit for everything?" A feminine, but childlike voice sighed. I was staring at a face I'd know anywhere—but I also knew it was impossible to see what I was staring at.

"Crystal?" I whispered, and the smaller girl grinned. "You're real?"

"No. Every time you get pulled into the darkness, it chips away at what sanity you have left. You're losing it," she stated, that grin becoming a small smile while she circled her finger near her ear in a crazy gesture. That was right to the point. Just like her. "It's okay though--" there was another light behind me, and a gloved hand caught my shoulder. "Vincent's here."

"Tory." I turned my head as Crystal's grin returned, and Vincent turned me the rest of the way around. I saw Yuffie in his arms, clinging to him like a child would their mother. I looked over my shoulder at Crystal. She was still there when I moved to put my arm over Vincent's shoulders so he could get us both out of there. She glided out of the way so we wouldn't go through her.

We exited the cloud of darkness and Vincent landed on the ground. My legs were kind of unsteady, but Yuffie looked like she lost more sanity than I had for a second.

"Are you guys okay?" Derik asked, nearly shouting the question Vincent had been about to.

"Yeah," I responded, sitting down next to Yuffie when Vincent set her down. "Lightheaded and dizzy, though."

"What…what the heck was that?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oblivion, perhaps." We looked over to the darkness, Nero left standing there. "My darkness—it can absorb as well as extract almost _anything._" Including sanity? Probably. Nero raised his hand up, creating a small orb of darkness. "However, some things remain—things as black as the heart of a daemon." Another chill ran down my spine as he spoke—dude, his accent was so pretty…I got a vague image in my head of Crystal giggling at me and covering her mouth at the same time to muffle it. Wow. I really_ was_ losing it after all… Nero, in a satisfied tone, said, "Ah, the essence of death…its ululations are like a lullaby." It's funny how I could still fangirl over the man after he tried to kill me…again.

"How can you--" Yuffie choked.

"All of you," Vincent said as he turned to Nero, "Stay here." Derik kneeled down beside us, gunblade at the ready just in case.

"Ah, yes," Nero said, observing as Vincent drew his gun. "You were invulnerable to the darkness." He raised his arms, giving me a beautiful view of his muscles flexing a bit, as well as the dark marks snaking along his arms. The entire room became dark, and Yuffie flinched visible—heck, we all did—except for Vincent. "No one will take my brother away from me again."

When everything lit up again, Vincent and Nero were gone.

"…Will Vince be okay…?" Yuffie asked, worry causing her eyes to tear up all over again.

"He'll be fine," Derik assured her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder—nothing more than for comfort. He loves Jerika, and Yuffie knows he doesn't mean it when he flirts.

"Heeeey, Derik guess whaaaaaaaaaaaaat…" I said slowly, grinning at him. He looked at me in a worried way, but my grin was completely goofy and almost stupid.

"Um…?"

"I saw Crystal."

"What?"

"In the darkness…she wasn't there though."

"Who's Crystal?" Yuffie asked, seeming a bit…confused. Oh, right, she didn't know…

"Crystal is the happy me_ and _my alter ego…" I stated, "But I guess the darkness screwed with my brain…I think I'll be okay after this and all, but holy _crap_…Like, she was exactly how I remember drawing her, but, like…real…"

"Did you see my neko with her?"

"No…"

"…Oh…damn."

"I hope your brain gets fixed…" Yuffie said, making another face. "I know enough people with other people in their heads…"

Was she referring to Vincent? Or maybe Cloud…or was there someone in Wutai, too?

Ten minutes later…or something like that, a dark wall appeared and Nero stumbled from it. I gasped.

"Weiss…" he whimpered, clutching at his stomach as he stumbled down the hall. My heart nearly stopped, and I scrambled to my feet.

"Tory?! What are you doing?!" Yuffie shouted as I brought my staff back and took a long step forward.

"Relax," Derik said.

Vincent stepped out of the darkness just as the end of my staff collided with Nero, just above where the wings were attached to his back. He made a pained choking noise and fell to the ground, crying out again on impact. He was wounded, badly.

"Vincent, Derik, just hang on a sec." I said as I dropped to my knees and collected my staff next to Nero. He put his arms on the ground and tried to get up, but they gave weigh and he collapsed, whimpering again in frustration.

"…" Vincent exhaled softly, looking at me. Derik nodded.

"Yuffie, keep him down."

"Wh—what!! Why not just finish him off?!" she screamed, though she was getting over to us slowly.

"He's too injured to attack, and you're too tired to fight with us." I felt so guilty as I watched Nero try to move again and fail, and I was confused… "No…Nero, look, stay here. I promise I'll explain later…"

"You…can't take him from me!! I've been without him for so long!!" he shouted angrily, and by the broken tone…I knew he was crying. Yuffie jumped back a little and looked at me.

"I have to go." I turned to catch up with Vincent, who was at the end of the hall. I apologized, and he shook his head.

"You did it for a reason."

"W-w-wait!!!" Yuffie stammered, but Vincent glanced back at her.

"So…the reason was…?" Derik asked, tilting his head as we walked forward and through the door.

"…I'll get back to you on that later…" I squeaked, staring at the slightly slouching man across the room from us. He was laughing; his voice was deep and intimidating…Slowly, he straightened up and threw his arms into the air, going full-on into a psycho laugh that I could _swear_ made the room shake. I re-drew Crystal Cerberus, and readied my staff as well…while healing, I'd had to use my limit break, but I probably wouldn't have to worry about building one up—I had a feeling I was going to get my _ass kicked_. The voice in my head giggled and agreed. Instead of being another version of my own voice, it was Crystal's now. Probably because I just saw her. Derik pointed his gunblade at Weiss, and Vincent drew Cerberus and started firing at the madman.

"Your weapons are useless!" Weiss shouted as he jumped up, across the bridge thing over the mako pit, and landed about fifteen feet from us. I instinctively backed up, my hand shaking from both adrenaline and fear. "My body is one with Omega, just as yours is with Chaos," he directed his words to Vincent, but even then I flinched.

_Oh boy, _I thought, _here comes the monologue._

"The difference being, Chaos is the ultimate Weapon, that will lead this planet to the stars!!" the man ranted—I realized he was taller than Vincent at this point. I'd thought he was shorter, but I guess I was wrong. "There is _nothing _that can destroy me…" He grinned and laughed out the word "nothing" again. Somewhere in my subconscious I thought that Weiss was no less good-looking that his brother, and blushed in shame. At least I didn't fangirl gasp this time. After another little laughing fit, he regained his composure and placed a hand on his hip. His head tilted, and before he spoke next I thought he looked kind of…angelic.

_Kira_, that's _unhealthy_.

"Vincent Valentine…" he spoke slowly, "and so we meet again."

"What?" Vincent questioned immediately, obviously thrown off.

"Still in the dark?" Weiss laughed. I gritted my teeth and cursed, and blue eyes fixed on me. "Perhaps you should ask your friend here!"

"Tory?" Derik looked at me, and I shook my head.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice faltering for a moment.

"…" Vincent glanced sidelong at me.

"Don't play the fool, girl, I know all about you." He said, eyes narrowing dangerously. I held my staff up to my chest in a sort of self-protecting way.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Derik snapped, not looking nearly as nervous as myself.

"What are you talking about?" Vincent practically _hissed,_ raising his gun as a threat.

"Ask them, Vincent!" Weiss dragged a finger through the air, first on Derik before settling on me…then it dropped.

I was crying. I felt like I had been caught…what was he saying? Was he hinting at me being an Ancient?! "I-I don't know…I don't know what you're talking about!!" I shouted, stamping my foot against the metal floor panels…ouch. Weiss sighed, chuckled, and shook his head before his gaze returned to Vincent.

"Three years ago while I was running about looking for Sephiroth, I took it upon myself to distribute my data--" He pointed at his head dramatically. "—my mind, my _inner being_ across the worldwide network." Derik shifted uneasily, and we shared a worried gaze. "And even though my body had died, and the world had been left in ruin, I survived in a virtual reality. When the network was restored, the scattered data regrouped and I was reborn. A neo-Reunion, you could say."

Cue cartoon light bulb above Vincent's head. "You…" Vincent said, his voice dipping down more dangerously than ever before. "_You_…" he repeated, his grip tightening on Cerberus.

A grin broke across Weiss's face—it looked twisted and it seemed wider than possible. And then…he laughed. He laughed, poor Weiss's voice nearly drowned out with another laugh.

"That's right, _boy,_" he cackled, nearly spitting the last word, "It's me. Hojo!!!" he laughed, and slowly, a flickering image of the _UGLIEST __**THING**_I have ever seen appeared next to him. I mean…man…even though he looked like a…I don't think there's a word. He stopped in his laugher and said, with a wave of his hand, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Let us do this _right_. Hello Vincent, how long has it been? Three years? Glad to see you've made such wonderful friends!!"

…That last part wasn't supposed to be there. "Tch…" I didn't dare look at Vincent's face, fearing I'd have a heart attack if I saw how angry he was. The tension made it hard to _breathe_.

"You know…when I first read it, I thought that woman's thesis was utter nonsense. I couldn't believe that some _fabled beast_ from legend past had anything to do with your survival. However, three years ago, when you transformed into Chaos right before my eyes, I must say, I was shocked. Who would have thought her theory was actually valid? And so I began thinking. If Chaos exists, then so too must Omega. And if you could become one, then maybe I could become the other to traverse the cosmos in a blaze of glory!"

I was listening now. I was done crying. But I was still freaking on the inside. "Derik?"

My ash-brunette companion shook his head negatively. "No," he said softly. I nodded. I wouldn't interfere.

_Vincent needs to here this,_ I mentally agreed.

"It was the chance of a lifetime! But, there was a problem," Hojo continued, seeming to calm down just a bit. I gazed at Weiss, trying to listen to _his_ voice, not the snobby, arrogant voice of the madman. I saw nothing in his eyes, aside from insanity. "Only a strong shell could hold back Omega's might! And it could not be just anyone."

I winced a sharp pain shot through the back of my head. _"Sub……A, can……hear……" _I heard a rather loud click, and everything blurred for a minute.

"_Hey, kid! You………………"_

"You _see_ boy…" I stifled a giggle upon hearing him squeak out "see" and was quickly reminded of my pain by another stabbing feeling in my head. "The reason you were able to play such a perfect host for Chaos, was because my _experiments_ endowed you with a nearly _indestructible_ body!"

I looked at Vincent and winced a little at the pain in his eyes, as well as my own pain. _Adam, you're hurting me…_ I thought, twitching my head a little. I heard him trying to speak, but I couldn't make out anything he was saying. _Please wait…_

"Thanks to me you are standing here today." Hojo's form faded back into Weiss. He laughed. Again. I tightened my grip on both weapons. "Now, where was I? I attempted to perfect my body for Omega by injecting myself with Jenova's cells. However, that didn't go as I had planned. I failed to consider the fact that the cells might try to take over my mind and eat away at my soul. And so, as a safety measure, I came up with a brilliant plan to transmit my neurodata across the worldwide network. However, after completing this, I realized I still required a durable body. And that's when I remembered Deepground--home to the most powerful beings on this planet.I even found a willing assistant in the lad _Nero_ to help carry out my so-called rebirth." I drew in a breath, and I felt Vincent's eyes draw momentarily to me. "Though never did he expect I'd take over his "_beloved" bother's_ mind," he continued mockingly. "I honestly must thank you for saving me the trouble of disposing of the filthy being."

"You bastard…" I whispered.

"Hah?"

"You fucking _bastard_," I managed to choke out, my eyes tearing up. I imagined Nero lying dead on the ground. "How dare you!!! How _dare you_ say that?! After all that trouble he went through, you would destroy him?!"

"I am a scientist, whereas _you _are nothing more than a_ child _who has overstepped her boundaries!! You obviously don't know what you're dealing with."

"Don't you fuckin' put her down!!" Derik cut in, stepping forward.

"Get out of Weiss's body." I stepped forward as well, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. "Nero and he are _both_ getting out of this alive!!" I meant it…no more death!

"…I've heard enough." Vincent seemed mildly shocked about our move, but he raised Cerberus once more. So Vincent fired, and Weiss disappeared. There were kicks and slashed, and a moment later I was smashing glass in one of the odd mako containers of the room, sliding to the ground, Derik was falling from a dent in the wall, and Vincent was on his back with Weiss standing nearby.

I whimpered, landing on my hands and knees as glass rained down off of my back (if it wasn't temporarily lodged in my skin). I could barely move, and I felt like I was going to throw up—I thanked God for giving me the gift of flexibility and reached back—falling onto my side—to get the glass out. Through the blur of pain, I heard, "You're getting old, Vincent Valentine." Breathing heavily, I stared at my friends and let the warmth of exhaustion close my eyes.

_I was at a playground, sitting quietly on a swing while I watched other kids play. I was waiting. One by one, the kids left, all being picked up by their parents. I hopped down from my swing after a while, and walked across the woodchips to the big red tunnel slide. I climbed up the ladder and sat down, putting my feet in with a sigh before I slid down. When my feet touched the ground, a saw a pair of feet. Looking up, I saw a little girl with silver hair and pretty green eyes._

"_What're you moping around for?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side._

"…_Mom hasn't come to get me yet," I responded softly. "And no one else is here…"_

"_Hmm…well, am I a no one?" she giggled, folding her hands behind her back._

"_No," I said loudly, offended by that. "I wasn't saying anything like that!!" the girl shook her head and laughed completely. _

"_I didn't say you were, now did I?" she asked, leaning her entire upper half to the side. I shook my head._

"_I'm sorry…"_

"_I know. But don't be. I'm Crystal." She held out her hand, and I got up._

"_I'm Tory…" I said quietly, taking her hand. There was a blur, and suddenly we were taller, and her face still had that baby shape to it, but it was slightly more feminine-looking. My skin had taken more coloring in, which made hers look considerable pale. Her hair was also much longer, though mine was shorter and in a ponytail._

"_What?" I gasped, looking around the grassy field._

"_Every time you're feeling down," she said, her free hand on her hip, "I have to come by and remind you to cheer up!! I won't always be here, you know!!" Her face twisted into a tearful pout, and my own sadness doubled. "Someday, you'll…you'll forget me! And I won't be here anymore when that happens!"_

"_Crystal--"_

"_No. Don't you 'Crystal' me; I've had e-freakin'-nough!! You need to cheer yourself up!! I've been here so often lately because you're moping, don't you see?!"_

"_Crystal," I tried again, shaking my head as her hand tightened the grip she had on mine to the point where it was painful. "Ow…"_

"_Oh, you baby!! Wake up!!" she shouted, letting go of my hand to slap me. I hit the ground, and I saw a flash of another place. "Wake up," she repeated. "Vincent needs your help, and so does Derik."_

_I curled into a ball and whimpered, realization striking me. "Nero's not dead," I squeaked. "So he can't infect Weiss…"_

"_Make up for it."_

"_How?" I asked._

"_You'll think of something."_

I was in pain when I came to. My heart was beating rapidly, signaling a limit break.

"H..Healing Wind…" I muttered, raising my staff. Pain shot through my arm and I dragged it back down as a green-white light swirled around me. I knew it helped the other two.

"Hmph."

I watched Vincent get knocked back, and he was glowing red.

"Chaos _and_ an Ancient. How interesting."

"V…Vincent!!" I shouted, getting to my feet.

"Vincent!!" Another pair of voices repeated as an image of Lucrecia appeared. Vincent shook his head lightly, trying to pull himself together. "Vincent, you cannot defeat this enemy by simply trying to overpower it! Take control!! Let your friends help you fight him! You can do it!!" Brown, gentle but concerned eyes moved from Vincent to Derik—now up again—to me, and I wondered if it was really a copy made by Shelke or the real Lucrecia for a second. "Please, help him!!"

"Heh…"

"Hah!!" Hojo raised an arm, saying, "Enough of this charade." Lucrecia's image flickered.

"Don't…mess," Derik breathed heavily, pointing his gunblade to fire it. Weiss brushed the round of bullets aside like it was nothing.

"Please…" Lucrecia begged, staring at the gunslinger, "Vincent!!!" her form faded.

"It looks like our Doctor Crescent has a friend," Weiss said in Hojo's voice. I smiled a little. "But she won't help you now, Vincent Valentine--!!" Vincent raised his hand, catching the beam and stopping it in his palm.

"AwRIGHT!!!" I cheered, grinning a bit.

"Wh..wha…?" Hojo gasped, looking horrified.

So…things were going a little better. Once they finished the conversation-type-thing, I started losing track of my friend. I couldn't seem him anymore, aside from the red blur or the occasional halting to reload his gun.

"Umm…Barrier!!!" I called, bringing up a barrier over Derik, so he wouldn't get hit by stray gunfire. I used the cast on myself, and tried on Vincent, though I'm not sure if it had any affect. "Demi!!"

Weiss took gravity trying to crush him pretty well, but I saw him slow down a little. He looked at me, eyes narrowing dangerously. The next place I saw him was right in front of me, taking heavy gunfire at his back, but he barely flinched while he picked me up by my throat and launched me toward the pit of mako, and I dropped my guns immediately.

"Nng!!" I landed with my back half-off it, and I twisted awkwardly just to grab onto the edge. "Oh no…!" I heard the odd whispering sound the mako gave off even better now, and the air was almost impossible to breath. Looking down, I closed my eyes and cried out again. _So this is the end? I can't do a pull-up to save my life…_ I surprised myself as I managed to get one elbow up, but slipped back down. I screamed, my fingers barely gripping onto the edge. I wouldn't fall far, but would the mako burn me if I landed in there? Would I die, instantly?!

And then, to make things worse, Weiss was standing above me the next instant. I watched his eyes change—before he shook his head, grimaced, and it was like nothing happened. He pointed his katana-rifle at me.

Working on a sudden burst of adrenaline, I swung my arm up and grabbed the rifle part, and grabbed his boot with the other.

"Get off of me!!" he snarled, dragging his blade back. I squeaked in pain as it cut into my fingers.

"I hate you!!" I screamed, "I hate you!!" I grabbed his pant leg, not in an effort to pants him, mind you, my bleeding fingers leaving a red smear. "You're going to hell!!! I hope you know that!!" Weiss brought his leg back to kick me off, and I shouted, "You hurt your own son and used him as an experiment!" I saw Vincent coming. "You tore two brothers apart and used Nero!!" the foot halted, and I saw eyes widen above me, reflecting some sort of emotion, before Weiss was seized by the hair and thrown across the room, and I was pulled away from him by Derik, who had also been on his way. I braced myself against him, gasping as my fingers reminded me that they were injured.

"That doesn't look too good," Derik said, and I whimpered. "You okay?" I nodded, though my thoughts were now racing back seconds before. While Derik had me drink a potion, I thought and thought about Hojo's reaction to my words. He'd probably been surprised by my knowing about Sephiroth being his son, but…

What, by some slim chance, if that was _Weiss_ who stopped the kick, hearing Nero's name…? The doors to the room were closed…crap. I ran past Derik and got my gun and my staff, watching the winged crystal hanging from my gun sparkle in the light given off by mako.

"Okay, Crystal Cerberus," I muttered, "you suck, but I'm gonna try to fight Weiss." Maybe if I could actually get Nero in here, Weiss could regain control, but again, the DOOR was CLOSED. And it looked hard to open. "Well, crud."

I really wished I had a Zack Fair in my head instead of a Crystal Crescent. That way, I'd have him telling me not to give up and all sorts of encouraging things instead of Crystal's sudden cynical-ness. I ran at Weiss, swung, he ducked, kicked me back, and I cried. And then I tried again, Derik joining me in my stupidity, but eventually we both got limit breaks, so while he was shooting around and _keeping up_ with them, I was healing.

Weiss was knocked onto his back, but not burnt as Derik's fire dimmed around him.

"Weiss!!" I called, seeing the confused but angry look on his face. He looked up at me and blinked. His expression clearly read, _"WTF?"_ but that didn't get rid of the annoyed look on his face. It was wiped away by pure desperation and anger, and in a flash he was hitting me against the wall again.

"Stupid girl!!" He snarled, hysteria alerting me that Weiss's moment of sanity had ended. I didn't even have time to fall—my head had just started to dislodge from the wall when it was slammed right back up against it. Weiss's hand was around my throat, closing off my airway.

"Tory!!" Vincent shouted, hurrying toward us. He was injured badly, but still worrying about me…

"Weiss?" I gasped, struggling to pull on the muscled arm.

"Hah!! You think he can here you now?! He's gone!!" Hojo mocked, and for a minute I believed him.

"Weiss…Nero's wai…aiting in the…hall…" I watched the blue eyes, the small bit of yellow surrounding the pupils. Eyebrows pushed together and Weiss's eyes closed tightly, his grip tightening considerable.

Vincent physically tackled him, and I dropped to the ground and put my hand to the spot where Weiss's hand had been…Derik kneeled next to me, and I barely listened to him telling me that it was a good idea, what I was doing, but it was dangerous. There was bad bruising on my neck, so I cast a cure on myself after I did so on Vincent. Derik was back into action shortly, and on fire. Like, literally.

And it wasn't burning him.

I smiled, a tear rolling down over my lip. We'd both grown so much stronger in a weak, yet I was still so weak…Pain was still something that slowed me down, and my heart was still so tender and pitying.

If we couldn't get him sane, we needed to knock him into the mako pit.

I stood back for the rest of the battle, just healing when necessary, drinking ethers to restore my magic. Which, um…don't taste that bad. Kinda like blue raspberry popsicles.

I had to jump aside to avoid Weiss before he slammed against the wall. He fell down, and I could tell he wasn't able to get up. I could see wounds now…actual blood ran down his arms and stomach, and I saw raw burns.

"No!! Get up!! Get up, don't you dare defy me!!!" I heard Hojo squeak, though Weiss's lips weren't moving. Vincent stood on the other side of the room, down on one knee, breathing heavily, and Derik himself was having a hard time standing. Weiss's hand twitched, and I jumped a little as he attempted to get up, but fell to his side in defeat. Vincent got up again and looked ready to attack and finish him off if necessary, but I glanced pleadingly at Vincent and lowered myself down to my knees.

"Weiss? Can you hear me?" I questioned, moving a little closer so he wouldn't have to turn his head too far. Hojo's form hovered over him, looking enraged.

"Get up!!! You aren't this weak, you fool, get up!!!"

"Weiss?" I repeated, shifting to see if his eyes followed me. They did, and he put his hands on the floor and tried to push himself into a sitting position. "Nero's out in the hall…he's alive…wanna see him?"

Weiss gritted his teeth, and I rather nervously put my hands on his shoulders and helped him up.

"Get away from me!!" Hojo squawked, waving his arms. I was honestly tempted to pull a Nero and shout, "SILENCE!!!"

"Shut up!" I snapped, returning my gaze to Weiss. "Do you want to see your little brother?" Weiss's head lolled to the side and I nearly panicked, but he blinked and tried to focus his eyes on me, taking a slow breath. "I'd heal you, but I don't want Hojo taking over again…" I tried to smile a little, almost blushing upon the realization that I still had my hands on his shoulders. "Come on, I'll help you see Nero, okay?"

Hojo shouted more, and Weiss grimaced before relaxing a little and gazing at me with an expression that frightened me: He was smiling.

I saw his hand come up beside my face, and he put it behind my head and I winced, frozen with the fear that he would snap my neck.

"What are you doing?!" Hojo screamed as Weiss pulled me forward slowly. I was shaking now, wanting to pull away, and run screaming over to Vincent. This was _way_ too close, and the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt made me more uncomfortable—it was just the way I was.

Weiss stopped pulling my head when my chin was almost touching his right shoulder, and he could speak into my ear. "You're going to tell him I love him…and you will keep him safe until we arrive for him. If anything should happen to my dearest brother your death will not be a pleasant one…" he paused, and I bit my lip, tears welling up in my eyes all over again from the threat. "…Do you understand, woman?"

"Uh-huh…" I responded shakily. Weiss leaned back to give me a smug look of satisfaction before he moved his hand to my shoulder and grabbed my wrist with his other hand, slowly dragging himself to my feet while using me as a temporary support.

"Good," Weiss said simply. He was heavy, and I had to brace myself to help him up.

"Stop!!" Hojo snarled desperately as Weiss looked at me one more time. He took a step past me, holding his breath for a second before releasing it. "No!!!" Hojo's form disappeared as Weiss took back control of his body. "No!"

I shuddered violently with relief, touching my shoulder where Weiss's hand had been a minute ago. After that, I leaned down and lifted my staff again, before turning to watch Weiss pass Vincent, and disappear into the mako pit as his body disappeared.

I walked forward towards Vincent and Derik, casting cure on them. Vincent nodded. "Thanks," he said quietly. I shook my head. "Tory?"

"Huh?"

"I think there's such thing as too nice," Vincent said, smirking. "We're all alive, so it's fine."

"Too nice? Me?" I gasped dramatically, giggling afterward. "Nah."

"What'd he say to ya?" Derik asked, patting me lightly on the shoulder.

"Umm…I have a message for Nero, but--"

Suddenly, the door opened, and Yuffie came bombing through. Looking around, she concluded that it was over. "We did it!!" she declared. Though she really didn't help, we all smiled and nodded.

And then…

With a roar, the lifestream appeared from the mako pit, and Vincent shoved Yuffie and Derik out of the way, Yuffie grabbed my wrist, and I couldn't pull Vincent to safety.

"Fuck!!" Derik shouted as he landed.

"Vincent!!" Yuffie screamed, and I dragged her to her feet, checked to make sure I had Crystal Cerberus, and ran.

"It's fine," I said, "Everything's going the way it should!"

We halted in the hallway, Derik having passed us, and we all looked at Nero. The oblivion had dissipated, but he was still breathing. Just unconscious, I had to assure myself.

"Hurry and help me carry him!" I pleaded as the lifestream snaked through the doorway. Yuffie was on an adrenaline rush, so her brain wasn't working well enough to protest. She threw one arm over her shoulder, I threw the other over mine, and Derik followed behind us. Nero wasn't so heavy himself, but the wings on his back weighed a ton! (Derik was carrying my staff)

"Did he pass out?" I asked loudly as we raced through the halls of Deepground.

"No," Yuffie squeaked, probably expecting me to beat her later. "He kept crying, and I couldn't stand it!! I knocked him out…" The thought of Nero crying for his brother made ME wanna cry, which was…nothing new, but still.

**Okay, I'm serious, Derik. IM me. Please. I really need help, or I wouldn't have kept that chapter this short.**


	19. Chaos and Omega's End

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Nineteen: Chaos and Omega's End**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything…**

**A/N: Umm, let's see…we're getting really close to the end. This will NOT be the final chapter, though.**

**I've found that an alternate reality lies in my head, in which I don't hate Tifa…I think it's the result of trying too hard to see the world I would if I actually got stuck in Gaia. Well, anyways, chapter nineteen's here! And I beat Kingdom Hearts in 24 hours!!**

**Read stuff by Rixah and Apollo Night, you guys, they rock!! Also read Tales of Yet Another Self Insert by whatsername427, if you're into Tales of Symphonia.**

**Thank you, Derik, for helping me with this chapter again. ^-^**

"Craaaap," I whined, trying to keep up with Yuffie and Derik—he'd taken Nero from me so we'd be able to move faster, and I was, of course, carrying my staff again. Reality, again, had set in, and after the most of the adrenaline had worn down, I found myself in shock for a minute or so when I noticed I was actually carrying Nero.

"He's heavy!!" Yuffie shouted, glaring over her shoulder at me. I glared right back, already having too much too be feeling guilty about—she'd manage. She was a ninja. Derik was running quickly, keeping up with Yuffie pretty well. He was a lot stronger than he looked.

I looked my gaze on the floor, determined not to slow down. There had been a lot of times in the past week when I'd been forced to ignore my body's plea for rest. But it seemed like everything was catching up with me.

"_Tory?" _I heard through static, and pain shot through my skull. I tripped, landing on my side…on a metal bridge over a floor I couldn't see.

_WHAT?! _I mentally snarled as I shot to my feet and attempted to catch up. I heard laughing through the static, and it cut out for a second before he was talking again.

"_I know every time I talk it hurts your head, but I thought I'd let you know I haven't left you alone or anything. Nice job with Nero, but seriously, what the hell? I knew you liked him, but I didn't think you'd go as far as stopping him--"_

_I know, but I'm glad I did it._

"_I noticed," _Adam chuckled. _"Well, I'm gonna…you know, get coffee…this time. Anyways, see ya."_

I tripped again. But I got up and kept going.

The night air was cool, but filled with noise I recognized as souls—the ones inside Omega.

We were on the upper plate, which was honestly too high for me to feel safe. Well, the ruins of the upper plate, that is, making our way towards Reeve. It wasn't surprising to me when he saw us coming. There were a few WRO soldiers left, which…wasn't the greatest thing at the time.

"Oh, good, you made it all out," Reeve said with a smile before it died away. "Where's Vincent?"

I pointed to Omega, and gasped out, "Up there!" Reeve, as well as the soldiers, glanced over at the WEAPON—which was a lot bigger in real life now that it wasn't on my TV. "He got pulled in by the lifestream after we defeated Weiss…"

"Reeve," Yuffie piped up, "We, uh, have a new friend…" Dread tightened in my chest as Reeve's eyes widened at the sight of said…new friend.

"Nero the Sable?!" He gasped—the soldiers took aim immediately, and I jumped into what someone could call either action or a minor panic attack.

"NO!!" I screamed, backing up to throw an arm around Nero protectively while I stepped in front of him.

"Why did you bring him back here?" Reeve demanded. The soldiers—thank Kira—were holding their fire.

"I, I umm…" I stepped slightly away, allowing my hands to slide back down to my side. I think I paled, because I got REALLY cold right then. "Nero was….umm…Weiss asked me to!" I blurted.

"You may wanna come up with something better," Yuffie muttered. I was stuck, even as I tried to speak again.

"Nero stepped in and helped us against Weiss…" Derik stated, "If not for him we might not be here now…" I watched thankfully as he stepped away from Yuffie and carefully lay Nero down.

"He did?" Yuffie whispered, before the light bulb upstairs went on. "Oh yeah!!" she shouted to Reeve, "He did!" the WRO commissioner looked at us hard, like he didn't believe us—or didn't want to—before waving a hand in a signal for the soldiers to stand down.

"Get a medic over here," he said to a soldier, who bolted off immediately.

"It wasn't even Weiss we fought, it was Hojo in Weiss's body…" I grumbled. "And…thank you, Reeve…"

"Hojo…?" Reeve repeated, looking surprised—yeah, if I was him, I'd be surprised, too.

"It doesn't matter right now, we can explain later." I looked to Derik and mentally grimaced at his statement.

_He's gonna be the one doing the explaining._

"Very well…" his gaze moved upward, and I saw the shape of Chaos in the distance, floating as he stared in Omega's direction. "What should we do now?"

MY light bulb went on as I saw a light making its way towards Chaos from Omega. "Wait for it…" I said, pointing. It hit Chaos and he was knocked back, before the light faded. "Now…Vincent's there again. Shelke just got the Protomateria to him."

"What do we do then?" Derik asked.

"Whaddaya mean?" I questioned in response.

He looked…disappointed, maybe? "From here on it's just Vincent and Weiss…what are _we _supposed to do?"

"I…" I looked away, my eyes finding their way to the unconscious Tsviet…the mechanical wings were damaged pretty badly, and there was blood on one of the edges of the muzzle, probably having dug into his skin. "I don't really know anymore…Everything's going okay…but…" My breath hitched, and I looked away as tears began forming in my eyes.

"What is it?"

"Gosh, I dunno, Derik," I practically whimpered, "What am I supposed to tell Nero when he wakes up??" He'd be angry, maybe even try to fight me—but once I gave him his brother's message, there was a less likely chance of me dying. I sat down, shaking my head.

"We'll have to cross that bridge when the time comes," he stated, sitting next to me and laying his gunblade next to him. I looked at him in confusion…

_Bridge? Oh…I get it._ "…Do you think he'll hate me?" I whispered. Derik didn't say anything. Then again, the answer was probably a yes… "Uh…Hey, Reeve?" Keeping my eyes on the ground, I waited for a reply.

"Hm? What is it, Tory?"

I took a deep breath and said, "...Umm...I know he's really dangerous...but...well, I know I really shouldn't be sticking up for him, but I...don't want him put under restraints again...please?" Footsteps over rubble made me flinch as I saw a hand nearing, and Reeve was patting my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Tory," Reeve said. I dared to look up at him then, and I knew he wasn't going to. I attempted a smile, and got another in return.]

"Victoria." I turned my head, gasping as I saw Shelke.

A while after a reactor collapsed, three not-so-new faces joined us.

"Hey, Reeve!!" Barret shouted as he approached. I inwardly cringed—he a lot louder in reality than it seemed in the movie and the game.

"So…Vincent's taken control of Chaos, huh?" I jumped a little, eyes moving to…Cloud. Blue eyes, spiky blonde hair and pieces of First Tsurugi strapped to his back visible from the front.

"_You just fangirl sighed."_

_Shut up, Adam, I'm allowed to—_

"_But you hate his personality--"_

_ONLY PARTS, DAMMIT!!!_

"Y-yeah…" I stammered, snapping back into reality, and guilt stung my chest. "…I'm sorry, if I had been more careful this never would have happened."

"Cheer up, Tory!" Yuffie said, bopping me on the head. "By the way…" she turned around, and in a flash, she was attached to Cloud. "HIYA, CLOUD!!!"

"…Hey, Yuffie…" Cloud said, smiling as he put an arm around her. She slipped down and bounced back over to my side.

"Cloud, Tifa, Barret, this is Derik on the ground--" she motioned to Derik—"And Victoria's the one moping here." Needless to say, I glared. "The little one's Shelke, and the black-haired guy is Nero! Shelke's been helping us for a while, but--" Yuffie went on to talk to Tifa and Barret, buuuuut…

"So…you're Victoria, huh?" the Chocobo asked, stepping near me. I felt really small next to him, but I wasn't going to get up…for the sake of sparing him the knowledge of my one-inch-less-than-his-height at only thirteen.

"Y…yeah…" I smiled a little up at him. "It's Tory. Nice to meet you…" I paused, pretending to think. "Cloud, right?" My heart fluttered when he smirked.

"So you didn't die…nice to meet you." I blushed as he held his hand out, and I took it in a loose grip and shook.

"Good to know you didn't…die either." I withdrew my hand slowly and set it back in my lap.

"So what's with the moping?" he asked after a minute, and I kept my eyes down to hopefully hide my pleased embarrassment.

"I…I think I did something stupid." I leaned my head towards Nero and Shelke, and he glanced that way…but caught my gaze before I could look back down. His eyes were so pretty—blue with that mako green surrounding his pupils…My eyes were so plain…amber brown with green on the bottom edge…

"I'm sure it'll turn out fine," Cloud said, perfectly serious. That struck me as funny, and I started to giggle. I turned my head as it became full-blown laughter, and said, "Well, Cloud, aren't you just an optimist?" Cloud, telling someone everything was gonna be okay!! A year after AC!! I saw a smile on Derik's face, and his eyes were closed…he was lying back, perfectly comfy.

I turned back to Nero. "I would've healed him myself, but I didn't want to close wounds if…you know, there were still bullets stuck…" Cloud glanced at Nero again and nodded, and I sighed, lightly kicking Derik. "Say hi."

Derik briefly raised a hand and said, "Hey Cloud."

"Stinkin' introvert…." I muttered. "Hey…where's Cid?" I felt bad again—I'd forgotten!!

"He's up workin' on his ship." Barret said, walking over and making the ground shake a little in the process. "At leas', he's tryin' t' see if there's anything he can do t' fix it."

I sighed, "The Shera crashed, huh?"

"Yeah, it did." Tifa responded, stepping gracefully over to us. My eyes widened as I saw her—she seemed so much…prettier in reality, and I felt really inferior all of a sudden. She was smiling pleasantly at me. Derik's eyes opened, and he looked at her. I don't know for sure if it was her _face_ he was looking at or what. "Nice to meet you two. I'm Tifa Lockheart."

"Tory Carlton," I smiled—her smile was contagious.

"Derik," Derik said as he sat up.

"So," Barret boomed, looking over the two of us. "You helped Vincent inside of Deepground? Not bad…" he seemed pleased in a way.

"No," I laughed, "More like I followed Vincent and Derik and got my butt kicked while taking unnecessary blows."

"She did most of the helping…" Derik said, nodding to me.

I gaped. "D…did not…"

"Please, the only thing I did of any worth was killing Azul…"

"Good job, you two," Tifa said, still smiling—I really think she was trying to stop us before we started a full-blown argument. "It's good to know Vincent's made more friends--"

"And what, Derik, did _I_ do?"

"You saved me and Vincent from getting our asses kicked by Weiss…" Derik responded, lying back again. "You healed us, you did more than me…"

"I almost got thrown into a mako pit, I was almost strangled, AND I was thrown against a wall...multiple times. YOU actually got some hits in on him!! Not to mention YOU and VINCENT both basically took TURNS saving MY BUTT!!!"

"Well, you should just take the credit then!!" Tifa said after a minute, "Derik, you both did well…thank you for helping Vincent."

"But the credit isn't mine to take," I sighed.

So I got punched in the shoulder by Derik and jabbed in the forehead by Yuffie's finger as they told me that whatever happens to Vincent isn't my fault.

"Just try to smile, okay?" Tifa had said, and…I don't know, I think I had tried then.

"Victoria…" Shelke said, walking over to me. I was standing now, so I didn't look nearly pathetic—didn't feel so either.

"C'mere, you!!" I said, quickly pulling her over and dragging her into a hug. She blinked up at me. "What's up, munchkin?" Instead of reacting awkwardly to it like she had last time, she just continued to look up at me, and even smiled a bit.

"Nero should be alright," she stated, looking perfectly content with that. "I thought you would like to know, considering…"

"…Sorry…" I said quietly, "You saved me from him, and he…hurt you…But I still saved him…"

"It's behind me," the short girl said as I let her step back from the hug. "And…you said you would do the same for your sister…"

"_Derik, is it unhealthy that I would fight for Beth the way Nero fought for Weiss?"_

"_No, it's a good thing to care that much about someone."_

"So…" Shelke paused, looking back to Omega for a moment. "I suppose you understood how he felt—and besides, you helped me once too, even though…it wasn't necessary…"

"_Shelke!!!" _I briefly let my mind wander back, and saw Azul's claw swinging at me before I stopped the memory from progressing.

I nodded. "I wasn't going to let you get hurt…even though it wasn't entirely necessary." I paused, inhaled, exhaled, and started talking again. "My nephew is…bigger than you are…I guess it was partly the thought of a child getting hurt that made me react…sorry."

"For what?"

"For looking at you like a child. I'm thirteen, you're nineteen. You should be looking at me like a child, not the other way around…" _She probably does, _I added mentally.

She _smiled_. "Well, Victoria Carlton, I--"

A noise like a boom got out attention, and we all looked in surprise at Omega. He was…crystallizing, and then turning into stone or something…wings broke out, and I gasped. They began to flap, and the WEAPON lifted into the air, Chaos flying after it.

"Omega…is ascending!" Reeve said, "But that would mean…!"

Derik got to his feet and stared, and the roar of the souls became louder and louder until it was near-deafening.

And then…

There was a boom…a rush of air…

And white.

The sky began to clear, and we could see millions of stars…before the green lifestream began to fall, and I spotted three red dots falling not too far away.

"…Vincent?" Yuffie said quietly, her own eyes filling with tears.

I let a quiet breath escape me, feeling the tightness in my chest becoming almost unbearable.

"He'll come back," I stated loud enough for everyone to here. I got a few looks from some of them, and I repeated it: "Vincent will come back."

Cloud looked at me. "Yeah."

**Like I said, not the end, but it's the end of this chapter. Sorry, I know it's really short. Read and review if you can, please.**


	20. After the Battle Part One

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Twenty: After the Battle—Part One**

**Disclaimer: Yet again, I own nothing.**

**A/N: I've started this before I even get reviews. Okay? Anyways…this may be the last chapter, but don't count on it. In fact, unless this is really long, it won't be. I do these notes before I start typing the story.**

…**I'm kinda scared about this.**

**This is the longest I've stuck with a story, and I never thought I'd get so many readers and reviewers…thank you, everyone…really. Thank you.**

**WARNING: Fluffy comfort, and Nero fangirling. Lots and lots of fangirling. Bit of angst in the beginning, but then it's happy…kinda.**

**---**

The souls were whispering as the lifestream drifted down to the ground. It was silent aside from that.

"Vincent!!" Yuffie shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth as she called. "Viiiinceeent!!!" She had stepped a ways away from the group, and by the way her voice cracked at the end of each call, I knew she was crying, like I had the first time.

I looked around, seeing saddened faces. True, Cloud looked worried, but I'm sure he was confident in his friend's survival. Maybe…what happened next was due to sympathy with Yuffie, but I turned away from the group and took a deep breath.

"VINCENT!!!!" I shouted, my own voice blocking out Yuffie's. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"VIN--" Yuffie began another call, and we continued like that for a while—Tifa was shouting, Cid was looking all over, and Barret was shouting…and was cranky.

But…we all spread out for a while, calling and searching. I think they did this originally, because it obviously wasn't spurred on by my feigned panic…

In all honesty, however, I was crying. The way my eyes were blurred caused me to trip and stumbled down one of the mountains of debris, and fall, and trip.

"Crap…" I groaned, feeling blood running down my arm, and a burning pain on my knees and elbows. I raised my staff and cured myself, relieving myself of most of the pain. I stood up carefully, using my staff as a support. "Why did I ever leave you behind…?"

A sudden thought reminded me; _I could have saved Shalua by putting this in the door._

And I threw it. It hit a pole that was sticking out of some other hunk of what was a building once, and something fell. I stalked forward in a huff and grabbed my staff, looking towards the thing that fell, and was currently glinting in the pale light from the moon and stars. As I stepped closer, I realized what it was.

Cerberus.

It was the Cerberus relief that belonged hanging on the end of Vincent's gun. I got down on a knee to pick it up, watching in shame as my hands shook violently. I was tearing up all over again, but instead of crying…

I screamed.

---

Sure, I had gotten looks as I wandered back to the main group, clutching Vincent's Cerberus relief so tightly it later left marks in my palm that didn't fade for about two days.

"…Tory?" Yuffie squeaked, eyes locking with mine in what seemed like pain. I was numb, but if anything I felt _cold_; _detached, _even_._

"He'll be fine," Derik stated, glancing upward at the clearing sky.

"…It's my fault." I said it, and I meant it at the time. "I thought maybe I could help…but…" Before I could finish a proper sentence, my staff was ripped from my hand and collided with my skull, effectively knocking me onto the ground.

"Yuffie!!" three or four people shouted at once.

"Don't say things like that!!" the Wutaian girl screamed, her voice piercing the haze caused by the stunning blow. "It was NOT your fault!! I—I depended on you to look after him, and you shouldn't have had that on your shoulders!"

I lifted my head, only to let it fall back to the ground.

"You okay, little lady?" Cid asked, holding out a gloved hand to me.

"N…no…" I stammered, swallowing my pride as tears began to show again. "That _hurt…_" Realization seemed to hit Yuffie as Cid pulled me to my feet, steadying me while sending a vicious glare towards the offending ninja. "Gimme that…" I then mumbled hoarsely, using what was left of my strength to snatch my weapon away.

"Tory, I didn't mean to…" she said, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Well, ya _did_!" I countered viciously. "It takes a lot to hurt my HEAD, Yuffie, but whaddaya know!!"

"Both of you!!" Tifa cut in, not in a grumpy manner—but rather a gentle one to stop the readying shoutfest that would likely be me simply being a _bitch_ and hurting Yuffie.

Usually I made people cry during fights, because I knew which points to strike at—verbally, of course. I loved the power, but loathed making my family and people I cherish cry…I hated myself.

"Thank you, Tifa," I groaned, staring off into space—literally and figuratively—while fighting back all of the sarcasm I felt. But really, she could have just saved me from casting aside someone I already cared about…and Yuffie was Beth's favorite character to boot—and I froze.

_Bethie…_

"_I hate you, Beth!"_

"_Hate, hate, kill, kill, die, die!!"_

"What's wrong?" Derik asked, not looking at us, continuing to stare at the sky.

I pulled my glasses from my face and dropped my staff to clap a hand over my face and began to full-out cry. "N-Neesan…" The last time I'd seen her, we'd been arguing. Over something so stupid I couldn't _remember!!_

"What about Beth…?" Derik was looking at me now; I could feel his eyes on me as I cried. "Something wrong?"

"I told her I hated her when we talked that last time," I admitted. "Oh, _Kira_, I told her that I _hated her…_Before I ran off and…"

"You ran away from home?" Cloud questioned, I felt…paranoid and claustrophobic. Glancing up and letting my hand drop to my side as I hastily nodded my head in a lie. But his surprise faded, replaced by…calmness…in the face of this situation. "Your family, sister included…should be satisfied with just knowing you're safe."

"Tha's right!!" Barret said, making me 'meep.' And really, I did. But he certainly had my wide-eyed attention. "Tell ya what, kid—" he paused, looking over me. "you don't look like no damn little kid—if Marlene went runn'n' off like you did, I'd be pissed off, sure—" the burly man stepped forward, and I flinched back instinctively. "But ain't no way I'd hit her widdat!! I'd be jes' happy she was okay!"

"…" I had my hands at my chest, clasped together in a frightened, defensive posture, and I swear I was about to start shaking. Scratch that, I _was_.

"…Barret? I think you just scared the living hell outta her. She's only thirteen." Cloud was standing off to the side, looking in a worried way from me to the tall man.

"Ain't no damn way." Barret's dark brown eyes widened in something that I almost thought was horror.

"I am," I said, immediately nibbling my lip afterwards.

"She's almost a tall as YOU are, Spiky!!" Barret exclaimed, and I noticed that Cloud was actually standing close enough to make the difference obvious—obviously only about two inches or so.

"Well, Cloud obviously isn't that tall to begin with," Derik said, causing Cloud's eyebrow to twitch in irritation.

"Ain't Denzel 'bout twelve?" Barret questioned, raising an eyebrow at the spiky-haired blonde.

My stomach twisted. He was _twelve?!_ I really _was_ freakishly tall…

"Yeah, it won't be long until he's thirteen," Tifa said, walking forward. She was shorter than me, too, and I suddenly felt like a freak, and showed it by dropping immediately onto my rear with a light,

"Oomph." I reached out to grab my staff. "You poor thing, I just keep dropping and throwing you all over the place." Barret promptly took three steps back, raising an eyebrow at me. I grinned sheepishly up at him and sniffed. "This is the COOLEST weapon in the whole planet, cause it's good for absolutely nothing!"

"You're fine," Tifa said. "If nothing else, it'll give the kids something to laugh at when they come home, right, Cloud?"

"Hm?" Cloud was staring at Derik's back in an irritated manner.

"Won't the kids think it's cool that she's this tall? We can use her as an advantage and says she eats her vegetables if she and Derik stick around long enough…" Tifa glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, smiling, and I knew it was an invitation of sorts.

"Yeah," the Chocoboy shrugged, adding a nod and a brief smirk.

"Mom won't like it, but it's not like it would change anything." I glanced down, twiddling my thumbs. "I-I'd love to, thanks. Kone-sama?"

"Mm, yeah, I'm up for it."

_How can he seem so…fine with things?_

"What now?" I asked to nobody in particular, subconsciously hoping Axel would pop out and start spewing some garbage before asking, _"Got it memorized?"_

"How bout ya get yer ass offa the damned ground for the tenth time today!" Cid stood there as he spoke, one hand raised near his face with his cigarette—a smell and sight I knew all too well—and the other on his hip. I almost laughed at what would be an epic pose for a picture, but decided against it.

"Sure, sounds like a plan." I grumbled, standing up before brushing dirt off my pants.

"We should head into Edge pretty soon and rest up," Cloud said, before glancing around, and then…the he said THE coolest thing possible. "Everyone, let's mosey."

"Goddamn it…" Cid hissed. "Cloud, can't you remember to say 'Move out!' ONCE?!"

"God didn't damn it," I interrupted, "The beavers did!!" Yuffie looked like she was trying NOT to laugh, Cloud smiled, shoulders shaking as he turned and laughed, Barret gave a full belly laugh, Tifa giggled, Reeve was attempting to hide the fact that he was laughing harder than I'd ever seen him do so, and I had the medic stifling laughter (trying to) too! And, Shelke smiled. Added bonus.

…Got that one from Beth when Oniichan said "God damn" once.

"Okay, little lady," he snorted, grinning as he blew out a puff of smoke which I practically hissed at as I dodged it. "You guys win. Good to know you've cheered up a bit." I paused at that, my smile fading. "Shit! I take it back!!"

"No, it's just," I paused, raising an eyebrow at myself, "that was really fast…I didn't think I could actually go from crying to laughing so quick. But Cloud's right. We should…get going…to…" A yawn cut me off, and I shrugged.

"Holy Shiva!!" The medic suddenly shouted, bolting back. I heard the Oblivion pick up, and I began to run in that direction.

"Nero!!" I said, almost tripping over my own feet as I tried to run over there. It was then I realized how weak my legs had been the whole time, and I collapsed next to Derik, and something happened, and I couldn't get up. Everything went black.

---

_I groaned, feeling soft movement against my skin…it felt almost like the wind, rustling grass…_

_Grass that I was lying on?_

_I felt something pulling in my grasp, and I opened my eyes and saw a blue lead rope, following it up until I saw an older horse that I knew too well. I was lying partially on flat ground as he grazed, partially elevated by the hill behind me…or rather a huge mound of dirt. Not quite a hill. He lifted his head, ears perking up as he looked at me and nickered softly._

"_Is that grass good, Micky?" I asked him softly, a smile cracking on my lips. The sun made everything bright, but it was nice once I got used to the light._

…_**I remember that day…I didn't even gut sun burnt from sleeping out there.**_

The scene changed to two years before as I was riding leisurely along on that very same horse, and then…

"_Whoa!!" My younger self went rocketing out of the saddle, landing on my head before my hip collided with the ground._

"_Are you okay?!" My brother called, racing partway across the field as I stood up slowly, and Micky came to a halt and looked at me in confusion._

"_I'm fine…"_

_**My hip was scraped and bruised and even infected a bit, but my neck was fine whereas it could have broken if I hadn't been so lucky… **_Wherever I was, I shook my head slightly at the thought.

"_**If you hadn't been so fortunate, you would not have made it here." **_That voice…it sounded so familiar…and that arrogant undertone—as if the man speaking didn't know it was there—struck me as almost _irritatingly_ familiar. I had almost asked if it was Adam, but decided against it. _**"Though, perhaps you were wishing for an escape?"**_

_**No, I wasn't…not then. My life was okay at that point…I was happy, even…**_ It was true. _**But…when I came to this world…before it, I…felt like I didn't have much to live for.**_

"_**This is your fate now—the Goddess wills it, and thus you cannot escape it."**_

_**I…I don't want to.**_

I gasped and opened my eyes, and saw nothing but darkness, until I turned, and saw someone standing on an invisible floor… if his auburn hair, blue eyes and the long red coat were any indication; I was looking at Genesis Rhapsodos. He was smirking at the obvious surprise on my face, causing me to blush lightly. "Are you really here?" I asked, my voice no longer sounding like a distant echo in my head. "I—I'm not…I'm not dreaming…am I?" If it wasn't a dream, I had just revealed that I was from a different world…

Not seeming surprised or taken aback in the least, Genesis said, "_When the war of the beasts brings about world's end, the Goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting._"

Okay. That threw me even more, but something told me I was seriously looking at the former First. Even if it wasn't him physically, he had somehow found a way into my mind. It was too perfect of an answer!

"Umm…" I mumbled, trying not to let my confusion show. "…I guess I'm not dreaming…" If I was really dreaming, it wouldn't have come out that way…Genesis could recite LOVELESS in a way like no other.

"I am real, though you _are_ dreaming." He was smirking, and if he were any just a figment of my imagination, he would have rolled his eyes—which he didn't, because he was real.

How to react? He REALLY didn't seem at all surprised by my being from another world, or maybe he missed it? "…I see." He was standing a good four feet away from me, and I felt gravity taking affect as I was lowered to my feet. "Thank you," I said, guessing he had something to do with my…grounding, I suppose.

"Mm." I watched as his lips curved into a smile—not a kind one, but I detected no malicious intent. "Weiss has already spoken to you."

I licked my lips nervously, shuddering as I recalled the memory again, and looked down. "H-he…did," I stammered, feeling rather insignificant. "…I, um…fell over a minute ago and passed out…I think he was waking up." After a pause, I looked up all watery-eyed and said, "I'm sorry. I-I dunno how he is now…"

"Far longer than a minute has passed since then," the auburnette stated. "You would have felt Nero's death by now if he had been killed. As would I have, Victoria."

My stomach twisted around the nervous butterflies inside of it as I heard my full first name spoken. "…You know my name?" I questioned weakly.

He smirked again, only making my embarrassment and nervousness worsen. "You act as if you're surprised—I _do_ know your name, as I'm sure you remember my own?" I nodded hesitantly. "I also know that you are from another world."

"G-Genesis." After another minute, I spoke. "It…it wasn't the Goddess that brought me here," I stated, remembering something he said a few minutes ago, "I was sent here like a test subject by people in Gemini…Derik was too, and…and I…" Tears spilled over my cheeks, and I sniffed and turned my head. "This is _the_ most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me…Sorry, I…anyways, my mind was sent to this world and here I am."

A gloved hand took my chin and turned my head back towards Genesis, who was raising a slim eyebrow in a graceful, slow manner I'd never seen anyone pull off. "Your mind and soul came in contact with the lifestream," he explained, "For the briefest of times; you and your friend were a part of it. The organization called Gemini meddled and caused it to create bodies for you, so you would be reborn in this world." He let his hand fall away as I blinked in confusion. "Putting it in the shortest way possible, that is."

"…Really?" I asked, looking at my hands. "That's how I came here?"

"Your ignorance surprises me." Even the auburn-haired First's voice sounded surprised, which in turn caused me to look up and see the confusion glittering momentarily in his eyes before he spoke again in realization. "This was all done without your consent."

"It was all done without my consent," I repeated to confirm it with a small nod. "But I'm happy I came here…Derik seems to be fine with it, but I know he wants to go home. I…I kinda wanna stay here."

"So you shall," he responded lightly, looking perfectly serious. I felt my heart leap, and I almost glomped him.

"Really? Honestly, I can stay?!" I began to laugh despite the guilt of never seeing Beth and Mom again. Derik would tell them—right? Right? I hadn't felt so excited since…since I named my gun, and I started seeing Vincent as a friend.

"Yes, but are you willing to speak the truth to your companions?" he asked, and my joy almost immediately dimmed down.

"…" I bit my lip. "I guess I would kinda need to explain that my family and Derik's aren't in Junon, huh?" Genesis nodded at this. "Yeah, I'd have to explain it sooner or later. I couldn't just go back home without telling them that I'd never see them again, and then I'd have to tell them, and--" I stopped, seeing an odd look in Genesis's glowing eyes that told me he had something to say.

"If Derik wishes to return, he must find a way to kill the body he has here." Genesis's form blurred, and I gasped. "It can be any way—he can be killed by friend or foe, in any way possible."

"What's going on?" I squeaked, watching as I myself began to fade.

"Relax, you're just waking up."

"…So I'll see you later then?" I asked, breathing out slowly as my anxiety eased up.

"Indeed you will."

"When?"

"_Soon."_

_---_

"Whoa!" I blurted, sitting up rapidly. I looked down at the blanket I was clutching with one hand, and in the other…I loosened my grip and hissed in pain as my stiff fingers let the Cerberus relief fall from my hand…after dropping loose from the indent it had left.

"You would not let go of it." I gasped, jumping at the sound of Shelke's voice, and saw her blurry form on the bed not too far from mine, sitting with her legs dangling over the edge. "I would be…lying if I said it surprised me."

"Where—how's Nero?" I asked, wincing at the desperate, worried tone in my voice. "Is he okay? He didn't attack anyone, did he?"

Shelke shook her head negatively. "He's downstairs," she stated. "He has mostly recovered. It's been two days, Victoria, since you passed out."

That almost freaked me out—two days?!

Which reminded me…

"Where's the bathroom?" I gasped, grabbing my glasses of a nearby table and dropping the Cerberus relief where they were.

"Down the hall, right two doors--"

"Thank you Shelke!!"

I'd gone to the bathroom, but then I'd been playing with my hair in the mirror, flattening it and combing it through with my fingers. It honestly didn't look as bad as I thought it would, but me being me, I was worried, and if Nero was downstairs already, I wanted to look my best to face him. While I pulled my hair into a low ponytail and tied it back, I wondered how he would react.

I was already guessing I was at the Seventh Heaven, which had to be accurate. Shelke was here, and—

"You okay in there?" I heard Derik ask.

"Morning, Derik," I said, "I'm fine." I walked over to the door and opened it, happily hugging him. He patted my back.

"I wondered if you were ever gonna wake up…you hungry? Tifa's made breakfast, and Cloud won't stick around much longer."

"…Yeah." In truth, my stomach felt like it was imploding in on itself. I was reeeally hungry. "I'm thirsty too…"

"Come on," he said, grabbing my by the wrist to lead me downstairs. "Nero's down there too." I felt myself picking up my pace and I asked,

"He's not going to kill me right?"

"I told him you have a message from his brother," my older buddy shrugged. "I doubt he'll attack. He's been really patient, and hasn't made anyone…too cranky yet. Shelke managed to explain everything to him, and he seemed to relax a bit." I winced. Shelke wasn't holding any grudges; she'd already told me that before I passed out, and I kinda understood Nero listening to her.

But that still didn't prepare me for the sets of eyes on me.

"Morning," Tifa greeted. One of the larger tables were set, and she, Shelke (who had probably gone down while I was in the bathroom), Cloud, and Yuffie were seated already, and two spots had a meal of bacon and eggs with a glass of orange juice, and one with coffee off to the side. Derik took his seat and sipped his coffee, and looked at me almost expectantly.

"Good morning, Tifa, Cloud, Yuffie, hi again Shelke and hi, Nero!" I waved to the Tsviet, who stood off to the side. Cloud greeted me with a nod, Yuffie did with a "Hey," and Tifa smiled pleasantly while Shelke just glanced, nodded and flashed a brief smile at me. I turned back to Nero, who was regarding me with slight suspicion. His arms hung loose at his sides, no longer kept crossed over his chest in restraints.

"Good morning," he responded after a moment. I almost lost the ability to talk, lost in the sound of his voice.

His red eyes caught mine, and I blushed. "You're not going…to eat?" I smacked myself.

Physically.

He can't eat with that muzzle on!!

"What was the purpose of that?" he asked, eyes locking onto the red mark on my cheek.

_Kira, how did I manage to fight him with his voice distracting me like that?_ "St…stupid question." My stomach growled painfully, and I felt mildly guilty as I sat down.

"I see. Why did you ask it if you believe so?"

I looked at him, partially over my shoulder. His head was tilted, and I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"Because I wasn't thinking straight?"

"Ah. I would have thought that your experience during your battles would have gotten you into the habit of thinking before acting."

…Was he mocking me?

"I can't think on an empty stomach!!" I whined at Nero, feeling my face heat up all over again. Honestly, I was overjoyed that he wasn't instantly trying to kill me, but I tried not to show it.

"Eat, then," he reasoned, vermilion eyes glinting with amusement. I turned my back to him, glancing up at Yuffie who giggled before shrieking in surprise at something and jolting.

"Why'd you kick me?!"

I froze. "I didn't!!" I protested. "I'm not THAT immature!" When I saw the genuine amusement on Cloud's face as he chewed a bite of egg, I raised an eyebrow at him. Tifa looked at me, and I shook my head. "I really didn't kick her!" I looked to Cloud and almost said, "The Chocobo did it!" Almost. But I didn't.

"Why are you looking at me?" he asked, smiling. "It's not like I'd do it. Yuffie, if I kicked you, your shin would be broken. Right?"

"Right!"

"See?"

"…You sneaky little Chocobo you." I whispered as I glared at him. "Fine, Yuffie, _I_ kicked you."

"I'm not a chocobo," Cloud responded almost immediately. He sounded offended, and I almost winced. I picked up the fork and stabbed a chuck of egg, lifting it to my mouth. Yum. I smiled around the fork at Tifa, to tell her that it was good.

"You're a cute Chocobo, though. Have you _seen_ your hair?" Tifa threw in, and I practically sighed with relief. I wasn't alone in thinking he looks like a chocobo.

_Then again, _I thought, _I think Vincent thought so too, after he was done on the phone on that one time…_

"First _Derik_ comments about my size, and now Tory calls me a bird." Yuffie snorted when Cloud said this.

"If you didn't spell your name with a Y at the end, Tory, do you know what it would be?"

"…The Wutaian word for bird," I shrugged. "My friends spell it with an I because we all have silly Wutaian nicknames."

Yuffie grinned. "Ooh, really? Like what?"

I bit my lip, trying to recall more than just Kumori and Hana. "Well, Meggie and Hannah are cousins," I said, "And they even decided a surname for themselves. They're Kumori and Hana Ranmiaku. I'm just Tory with an I in that group."

"…Flower Chaos?"

"Flower Chaos."

"Your friends have problems, Tory."

"You're one of my friends too, Yuffie." I paused, feeling a slight throb on my head. "If you gave me brain damage when you hit my head, I'm gonna kill you."

"You already have another voice, how bad _can_ it get?" Yuffie questioned with a grin.

"Not everyone needs to know, Yuffie." No one looked too surprised, considering they'd all been through enough trauma to have voices in their heads too. Still, I was blushing. "Cut it out, will you?"

"Oh, lighten up!"

The bacon and eggs, plus the orange juice made me feel like everything was normal—like I was staying over at a friend's house or something. The conversation made it even more so, even though I really wished Vincent was there.

I just really had to prepare myself for talking to Nero, who was still standing about ten feet from the table, and I felt his eyes on the back of my head every now and then.

---

It didn't take long to clean up, and Cloud was headed out the door, Tifa caught him in a hug, and so did Yuffie, while I just gave him friendly advice—as much of a huggy person that I was, I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Get back in once piece," I said, smiling.

"Thanks," he responded with a nod.

After Cloud left, I finally looked to Nero.

"Umm, upstairs…? If you can, uh, get up there with those wings of yours?" I suggested.

"They are not immobile," Nero said in response. "They were…repaired, so they are not anymore, at the least." He was trying to choose words carefully, which made my slightly upset. He was hesitant and obviously suspicious.

"Okee-day, then." It really wasn't that much of a talk, but I didn't feel comfortable saying, "Your brother wants you to know he loves you, and I'm supposed to take care of you until he comes and gets you" in public. I walked quickly towards the stairs, and Nero kept up well with me, taking long strides that would have matched Vincent's, which meant he closed the gap and passed me. Fast. But he was waiting at the stairs, and he gestured for me to go.

"Ladies first," he murmured, not looking directly at me.

_Wow…he can be polite after all. It's…kind of nice._

"Thank you," I said in a quiet tone, going up the steps carefully. I never felt comfortable with being followed by adults, for some reason. It's like how I don't appreciate close contact with guys lacking shirts. Like his brother.

I made my way up into the room I had woken up in, because Shelke had saved me the trouble and left the door open to make it easy on me. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped in, holding it open for Nero. He came in and nodded to me while I closed the door.

"Okay, um…So, I…heard you like mudkips?" I shrugged, grinning sheepishly. Nero's eyes flashed wide open before he tilted his head.

"Excuse me?"

I facepalmed. "S—sorry," I giggled, "I'm just really…freaking out about this. Can't believe I said that! Anyways, uh, Derik told you that Weiss left me with a message."

"Yes." He sounded impatient and kind of excited, even. Like a little kid—when I imagined little Nero, I found myself smiling. "Tell me."

"First of all, he said he loves you." I paused when he nodded, and continued a moment later. "And…well, he says he's gonna kill me if anything bad happens to you. So…I guess you're in my care, but I…I dunno. You're probably a lot older than Shelke, even, and…" My face went bright red. "So I guess you'll be taken care of by a teenager for a while. Since I'm thirteen…" I watched Nero's facial expression shift.

"I believe I heard a conversation concerning your age, but I didn't recall it until now," he said, looking at me oddly.

"So, um, you can take care of yourself, r-right?" I asked. "I'll just be there to make sure no one hurts you." I paused, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry!! I didn't tell you, my name is--"

"Victoria Carlton," he interrupted. Suddenly 'Victoria' didn't sound at all very stuffy.

"Umm, yeah." I blushed brightly, mentally smacking myself.

"My brother," he sighed, "dear, sensible, Weiss…has entrusted my care to a child that is nearly ten years younger than I am."

"You're twenty-three?" I questioned.

"Twenty-two," he corrected gently. Wait—gently?!

"How old's Weiss??"

"Twenty-five."

…Wow. I thought he'd be at least twenty-eight.

"There's a three-year age gap between me and my sister's ages, too. She should be turning seventeen soon." I smiled a little and added, "But I don't think your brother knew how old I was…after all, he called me _woman._" Nero nodded, looking down before I could see his eyes. I knew what was coming, but I almost didn't believe myself.

"That…that makes sense." He raised a hand to his face, shoulders shaking lightly as the hand covered his eyes.

"Nero?" I gasped, hearing the oblivion roaring as it began to pick up the pace, spinning around him rapidly. I was afraid—my instincts told me to run, and I almost backed up. "N-Nero, are you okay? What's wrong?" The darkness began to slow, and he picked up his head. Tears were running down his face and over the metal plating of the muzzle. "Nero…?" At that point, I realized how much of a helpless child I sounded like, and wondered how he had mistaken me for anything else. "He's coming back."

"I know," he whispered, "if he said he would come back for me, he will…Weiss has never once broken a promise to me."

I looked down, feeling my chest constrict as I held back tears of my own. And that's when I saw that my gun was gone, and I had no idea where my staff was, but quickly reminded myself that Nero was more important. It was hard to watch him cry like that, and I thought of how I had cried shortly before passing out two days before about the last conversation between my sister and me.

Deciding what I was going to do, I held out my arms out to him and took a step forward. "Will a hug make you feel a little better? I know you want your brother, but it's good to let your emotions out." I braced myself for a blow, verbal or physical, but instead I watched as Nero lowered his gaze, considering it. I waited, and when he didn't give me a look of disapproval, I moved a bit and put my arms around his shoulders, and felt him tense up a bit. I put one hand on the back of his head and pulled his forehead to rest on my shoulder, which he let happen. I could feel the cold bits of darkness as the graze my skin, almost like ice cubes.

Nero was shameless when it came to affection with his big brother, and I was snuggly with Beth, but it was definitely an awkward feeling that came over me as I hugged him. It was definitely nerve-wracking, but I wasn't completely scared anymore.

"Nero?" I asked, staring at a particular long spike of ebony hair partway down his back.

"Yes?" he said in response, his voice sounding choked though he didn't stutter.

"If you don't tell anyone until I clear it with Derik, can I tell you something?" _This is a good thing, to let him know…this will give him something that he could use against me for a while if need be…maybe it'll make him more okay with the situation of me taking care of him, or…_ I wasn't entirely sure, but I wanted to open up to him.

"…Yes." He said quietly, shifting his head in a nod against my shoulder.

I opened my mouth, closed it and stopped to think. I sighed, closed my eyes, and spoke.

"Nero, I'm not from this planet."

---

**That was a bit longer than I thought it would be, and it's not the last chapter. This could go on for a bit longer than I thought. Read and review, please! I restarted this chapter a few times, and I know it kind of sucks, but my brain's all scrambled and I'm trying not to panic about what you guys'll think.**

**I wasn't taking advantage of Nero by hugging him, it was comfort!! Sure, my inner fangirl was probably squeeing somewhere where I couldn't here it, but anywho…yeeah…And I'm not going to go Romance Sue and pair my SI Self with a character nine years older than I am.**

**I really failed at this chapter. T^T I'm sorry, everyone. I almost started over again. Forgive my for my errors, I was too frightened to go back. So, uh…read and review? I'll update as soon as I can.**


	21. After the Battle Part Two

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Twenty-One: After the Battle—Part Two**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dirge of Cerberus.**

**A/N: I got positive feedback for that last chapter. Thank you, you guys!! Umm…so, this still isn't the last chapter. But I've gotta do something that's making me kinda sad. I'm about to cry, so just read it please, the next chapter should be the last.**

**In the last chapter, at the end, I spelled "hear" as "here" and now I wanna beat myself up because I'm to freaking lazy to do anything about it.**

My materia was missing—not the ones in my staff, Shelke had pointed that out, but—my bag full of it was gone, and I didn't have any left in pockets.

"_YUFFIE KISARAGI!!!!"_ I shouted, tackling her from the bottom step. She screamed, flailing as she failed at escaping. "Where is it?!?!" She landed on her back a second later, and I followed, and was sitting on her stomach a minute later.

"Where's what?!" she asked, panicking. I think Tifa was too surprised to react, considering the shriek that had come from her when I came from the stairs.

"You know damn well what," I snarled, shaking her by the shoulders. "What the hell did you do with my materia?" She was trying not to grin, and I began to shake her more viciously.

"…I stole it, obviously," she giggled, and I stopped shaking her.

"Give it back…I will end you otherwise."

"Yuffie," Tifa scolded from nearby. "Give her back her materia." The ninja pouted, and I knew this would be difficult, so I sighed.

"Look, Yuffie, if you show me were it is and don't try anything," I paused, grabbing the suspender on her right shoulder. "I'll give you some of the materia. I don't have much use keeping _all_ of it."

"But I stole it fair and square!!!"

"Tory, calm down," Derik smiled at me, obviously finding this amusing.

"Yuffie…"

I heard the sound of knuckles cracking, and realized that Tifa was doing so absent-mindedly as she raised an eyebrow at the ninja.

"It'simmybag'mmyroom!!!" Yuffie slurred, trying to get it all out in one breath.

"I'll be right back," Tifa said with a nod as she went up the stairs.

"Thanks, Tifa!"

"No problem."

A soft sigh made me jump, and I looked at Nero from my spot on the floor. "What?" I asked, blinking at Nero.

"Such a reaction should be expected of a child your age," he said, shaking his head slightly, "However…" he looked to Yuffie. "Such acts are below your, are they not?" Yuffie glared at him.

"At least I haven't tried to destroy the planet!!" she countered, and I smacked her immediately without thinking. "Hey!!"

"You have no right to say that," I hissed, "You have no right!!"

"Get offa me already!!"

"I found it!!" Tifa shouted from upstairs, and I carefully stepped off of Yuffie, stumbling as she bumped one of my legs.

"Shoot--" I gasped, only to have my shoulder caught by Nero. Turning bright red, I smiled a little at him. "Th-thanks." Yuffie huffed as she went stomping upstairs past Tifa. When the bartender looked at me, I shrugged. Just as Nero's hand fell to his side, I said, "She messed with him, and I smacked her." She looked at me, sighed, and shook her head.

"You really do have a pretty bad temper, don't you?" she sighed. Holding out a bag, she said, "Here."

I took it, again surprised at the light weight of materia. "Derik's sleeping upstairs, right?" I asked, sitting in a chair while I opened the bulging bag.

"Mmhmm," Tifa responded with a small nod. "Where'd you get all of that, anyhow?"

"The old Shinra building," I stated, chuckling. "There was a room full of materia…it'd be a shame to have left it all in there." Tifa shrugged, sitting in a chair nearby. "Mind helping me figure out what these are?"

Okay, big surprise: most of them were mastered. I had some fire, lightning, ice, earth, and a few other types like gravity…I had a couple of most of them. There was also a mastered Restore materia, which excited me to no end.

"Do you know how to bind materia to yourself?" Tifa asked as I stared at the green light given off by the materia.

"…It seems pretty simple," I shrugged. "Derik has a fire materia bound to him." I pointed to my chest, around the area the fire materia was for Derik. "But I don't know how to _un_bind it."

"Okay, choose one." I gave Tifa the Carlton Eyebrow, and she laughed. "So you've got one picked already."

"Restore materia is my favorite."

She nodded, and took a Thunder materia in her right hand. "You're right handed, aren't you?" she asked, getting a nod from me. "Okay, then you take in your left hand." I switched the materia to my other hand.

"Put it about here…"

I had watched Kadaj put it in his arm enough times to already be pushing it past the skin. It was weird—cold and warm at the same time, and it was slipping past the skin as if there was a hole made just for the materia.

It was pretty easy to tell that it was a mastered Restore materia by the feeling it gave off—I'd felt it by just holding it, but it was magnified now.

"As for unbinding it, you just have to will it to happen. Oh, and don't have to many of them bound to you at once…"

I didn't ask why she said that. "Thanks, Tifa."

"You're welcome," she responded with a pretty smile.

"By the way…how many would be safe for me to have bound for now?" I asked.

"About…four, five at the _very_ most."

"Okay, so Restore, Fire, Lightning, and…" I paused. "I want a Gravity materia, too…so…that's four, so I think I'm safe." I had a couple of those in my staff, but in case of emergency, I wanted to be able to cast spells without it.

"I've got something for you, too," Tifa said after a minute, "Be right back." She got up and went towards the stairs as I held the materia in my lap and tried to decide what the best placement would be. I glanced back at Nero, giving him a smile. He had believed me when I told him that I was from another world, and so was Derik, but he didn't seem to think any different of me.

"Hm?" He saw my gaze on him and tilted his head.

"You're so quiet," I said in a hushed tone to emphasize my point.

"I have no reason to be otherwise," he responded simply. Well, it was true. I looked at the muzzle piece over his mouth. His voice was perfectly clear, despite the fact that it should have been muffled at least.

"Nero, why don't you take that off?" I asked. "It…it can't be comfy." Maybe part of me just wanted to see what he looked like without it.

He seemed to be thinking about it, considering my question. "It was placed on me by the Restrictor after the first time I lost control of my darkness…"

"Restrictor…he did something to make you react like that didn't he?" I'd seen that man; I'd seen what he does and how he works. "You didn't just go berserk for no reason!"

I felt my chest constricting as he looked downward, and eye contact was broken. "…He hurt Weiss…" he explained softly, and I almost got up and hugged him again.

_Don't push it, Tory,_ I told myself. _He's just starting to trust you._

"Here I---" Tifa stopped as she made it halfway across the room. "What's wrong, Nero?" The ex-Tsviet shook his head.

"Your concern is unnecessary, though I am pleased that you were worried," he said. Looking back to me, he said, "…and you as well, Victoria."

"No problem…_Do_ you want it off, though?" I pressed. I knew darn well Shelke cut it off with her EM Sabres.

"…Perhaps."

"That…mask?" Tifa said, looking to the metal plates covering parts of his face.

"Correct."

I sighed in defeat. I could probably talk to him more about him later, but instead I settled for, "I'm sorry."

Instead of leaving it at that, Nero looked at me in confusion. "For what? It is not as if you were the one who—"

"I'm sorry because I feel bad that I couldn't have done anything, even if I had been there."

After a brief silence, Nero turned his head away and gestured to Tifa. "It seems she has something for you." I nodded, turning to her.

"So…"

"Here," she said, holding up a blue-green materia. It was…Shield materia, if I was guessing right. "It suits you. This is one I saved from three years ago…" she paused, smiling. "And one of the few that Yuffie didn't get."

"But…it's yours," I protested, "You don't have to…" When she bent forward and pressed it to my chest, relatively close to my heart, she said,

"Keep this here. It's a present…sort of a thank you for helping out. You can't return presents because it's rude, okay?"

I almost laughed at her reasoning. "…Thank you…" I whispered. "I'll make good use of it if I need to." She nodded. "Now, as for the others, if you're going to be shooting with your right hand or swinging your staff, use your left for magic. The reason the Restore materia should be in this hand is because it's generally easier to use Cure with a weapon as a catalyst." I nodded.

"Okay, but…why is the Shield materia here?" I asked, pointing to my chest.

"Because that's where you can focus the most of your spirit energy," Tifa laughed, "doesn't it make sense?"

"It does," I responded, flashing back to Derik's abilities and…advanced fire attacks. And if protecting someone was my main objective… "It makes a lot of sense, actually."

"That leaves Thunder, Fire, and Gravity." She took the Fire materia and pressed it into my arm, the Thunder materia right behind it. "We'll put Gravity in your shoulder."

_Now as long as Sephiroth doesn't get it and throw it at me, I'm not dead._ I had taken a quiz once, which randomly chose a death for you in FF7, and mine had been Sephiroth throws the Gravity materia, even though he had thrown Destruct materia at Cloud.

"What is it?" Tifa asked, and I realized I was giggling.

"Inside joke about the Gravity materia," I explained.

"With who?"

"My friend and I…we draw comics in the middle of class, and characters randomly appear with Gravity materia and throw them at me, which is like an instant death for me." I'm a great artist, so whenever we draw comics it's funny because we draw semi-detailed faces and hair, and then they have stick bodies.

Guilt welled up in me as I thought of all the crap we put Cloud through that involved…yaoi.

I'd never think of those comics the same way again…thank Kira they were only stick figures.

"Well, I'm gonna give the rest to Yuffie."

Red XIII came for a visit a couple days later, just after we'd come back from shopping for clothes—Tifa had insisted we get something more comfortable, rather than durable for battle. Derik had also agreed to tell everyone where we really WERE from.

After Vincent got back.

Shelke had yet to change clothes. Derik was wearing black from head to toe, which wasn't much of a difference, but he wasn't wearing the coat now. I was wearing a red tank-top with a v-neck (didn't go too low) and a pair of black jeans. When Tifa suggested it, I bought a pair of leather gloves, because she said in the case of a battle it would help me keep a good grip on my staff.

…Huh.

That sounded really bad.

Pretend I didn't say that.

Anyways, Tifa seemed kind of excited to be teaching me these basics, and it was kind of funny. It was really nice that she was treating me like a kid without putting me down. She knew I was mature, and I could fight, but I _was_ still a kid. I wondered if…after I explained I was from a different planet…she'd let me stay at the bar with her?

Oh, and Shelke was on mako capsules. Reeve had gotten the message across while when he handed the pill bottle to her that she was our ally and there was no way they were going to let anything happen to her—and Shelke needed to experience normal life, so they weren't going to trap her at the HQ (they were rebuilding, and the room that had the mako tanks hadn't been damaged). Reeve was a good guy.

So anyways…the first meeting with Red XIII was almost as normal as meeting an actual human being. Except for the fact that through my conversation with him, I was tempted to pet him. I didn't point out how amazing it was that he could talk, and I didn't ask about touching his fur because I didn't wanna make him worry about me being like scientists. Only when Yuffie threw herself around him and commented on how soft his fur was did I realize that he didn't mind terribly, but I still didn't want to freak him out.

And he knew I was half-Cetra, which took me by surprise. Took Tifa and Yuffie by surprise, too.

"I thought Aerith had been the last," he said, and I shrugged.

"I'll explain later," I said, "After we find Vincent."

"But how'd you hide from Shinra???" Yuffie asked.

"I didn't need to." I shook my head. "But…well…ugh, never mind."

I had told them flat-out that if I tried to explain, I'd have to lie until I could explain it to Vincent as well. "Vincent _needs_ to be here," I had stressed. Yuffie complained, but the rest of them took it well.

The day went by without incident, and I had seen Shelke doing something with her phone in the middle of it. That, again, reassured me. Yuffie had also asked Tifa if she'd heard from Cloud.

"Mmhmm. He hasn't found anything."

That night, I went to bed early and I cried. I thought about all the soldiers who died, Deepground or WRO; those who once had families and dreams. The Deepground soldiers did have faces beneath the helmets, and _did_ think. They had hearts, too.

I cried for Rosso, who had probably been a monster all of her life, and had never gotten a chance to _truly_ bask in the sunlight.

I cried for Azul, because he was another victim to the hunger for power. Wanting to be strong and destroy…that was a human trait.

I cried for Shalua, who died for her baby sister.

It was the next day that Shelke said "I believe I know Vincent Valentine's location."

"Where?" I asked immediately, twisting around from where I was standing. Shelke had also drawn Tifa's attention, and Derik had turned his head as well. Yuffie was out for a walk, venting. She was half-panicking.

"Do you know the cave hidden by mountains between Nibelheim and Corel?" Tifa sucked in a breath and nodded.

"Oh…"

"Well what are we waiting for?" Derik questioned, standing up. "We should go get him."

"I'll start calling everyone," Tifa said. "Not all of the WRO's airships were destroyed, so we can probably take one of those."

"Poor Cid," I muttered. "But yeah…we should definitely go get Vincent. Shelke, have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"…I don't believe so?" she responded, looking at me with concern.

"You rock. You really, really rock, munchkin." With that, I picked her up and hugged her. I saw Nero looking at me from nearby, and I grinned at him. "You feeling left out?" I asked, setting Shelke down.

"I'm fine," he said, causing me to laugh. "I was simply…observing." I nodded.

"'Kay then. You coming with us to get Vincent?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't." Nero paused before adding, "I wouldn't want Weiss believing you left me _all alone_ to fend for myself when I can clearly _not_ do so."

Shelke nearly gaped at the sarcasm and joking tone in this, while I was trying not to laugh.

"No, we wouldn't want that, would we?" I giggled. "But really, I don't want to die. Thank you for your concern."

It was a big airship, but not nearly as big as the Shera was. Cid was piloting again, though. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Heya Cid," I called, waving at him.

"Hey!" He nodded, grinning. "How ya feelin'?" I shrugged.

"Better," I said. "I'm not feeling like I'm being crushed under something I can't see anymore."

The blonde nodded before something caught his attention. "Hey Cloud!!" I turned to see the younger of the two blondes, and I waved.

"Hey, Cid. Hey, Tory." He nodded to the two of us, giving a small smile.

"So, Tory," Cid said, drawing my attention back to him. "How's your friend?"

"Derik? He's good."

"Good to know," Cid laughed, "but I meant the other one."

"Oh, Nero. I think he's doing a little better." I shrugged lightly. Recalling a question from before that I felt stupid for not asking, I asked, "So, uh…what happened when I passed out?"

"Dunno…you didn't hit your head or anything," Cloud said, crossing his arms. "You just…passed out."

"And…what about what happened with Nero?"

"Shelke and Derik talked to him. They explained what happened, and he calmed down a bit."

"I see…thanks, Chocobo." I'd meant to say "Cloud." I hadn't been able to stop myself in time. I almost screamed for Tifa when he narrowed his eyes at me. Cid burst into a fit of laughter, and I watched Cloud's lips twitch.

"…You know what? I'm not even going to get angry about that…" He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

In Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories, I'd summon him just to watch him do the whole hair flip thing. That was another game I wanted to destroy now. Gemini…they'd pay, some way or another—they'd _pay_. They had no right to mess with people's lives--

"Tory?" Cloud's soft voice called, and I saw curious slash concerned blue eyes. I dislodged my fingernails from my palm and sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry…" I mumbled, "I…I just thought of something that made me really mad…I-I'm gonna go look for…Tifa. Yeah, Tifa or Derik or Shelke, whoever I run into first."

I didn't find any of them, but found myself in one of the few empty rooms and, went to a corner, and sat down. Something in my pocket shifted, and I almost panicked before remembering I had brought Vincent's Cerberus Relief with me to give to him when we arrived…we were gonna be going for a few hours. I glanced down to the gun strapped to my leg, noting the differences from usual immediately—it was black, silver and gold now, the silver moving in patterns that reminded me of the lifestream.

Adam had, indeed, pimped out my gun without my noticing.

"You rock, Adam," I said quietly, blinking rapidly as I tried not to fall asleep.

"_I know, kid. I know." _It wasn't hurting me when he spoke, and I briefly wondered if I'd imagined it.

_The next thing I knew, something was nuzzling the hair out of my eyes. It was wet, cold, and blowing brief puffs of air onto my forehead. Cracking open my eyes, I saw dark brown eyes staring down at me. Creamy fur with traces of dark brown and black showed up at some of the edges. It was a wolf mix, though I couldn't remember what else it was. __**He**__ was._

"…_Griffin," I mumbled, smiling at the familiar dog. A lick to my cheek made me smile, and I reached up a hand to stroke his ears. "I miss you, you know that?" Another lick, and I giggled. "You dummy…you shouldn't have gotten into those chicken bones." The dog could go through windows, open the stove, turn the dials on the stove, and open the refrigerator. He lay down next to me—against me, even--nuzzling my cheek. "…I guess this makes me a Sue now, doesn't it? A new character and her wolf-dog…"_

_If it wasn't reality, I would have been. But at the time I knew it was only a memory of the dog, not his spirit. He'd died so many years ago, I couldn't remember. But I'd cherish the moment I had with him. I snuggled against him, almost surprised how much smaller he seemed now that I was bigger. He really was a big dog, but I had grown a lot since his death._

_A cat nuzzled my arm, sliding between myself and Griffin._

"_Triscuit," I whispered with a wider smile. The fluffy orange and white cat with red-brown eyes mewed in a high, girly way, which I had often mocked him for playfully. "…I miss you, so much. I miss you both…" He pressed his fluffy face against mine, and I almost cried._

_My ex-boyfriend had introduced me to the stray cat that hated him, but absolutely loved me. It was around the time that we got together._

_I'd never told him how I really felt, and now I never would._

_**Now**__ we were apart because of a misunderstanding._

"_You bring back a ton of memories, Tris," I smiled, holding the two of them close. "Remember when I wanted to name you Vincent because of your eyes?" Triscuit began to purr, and Griffin gave a soft growl and heaved a dog-like sigh. Happy and warm from the two snuggly animals, I closed my eyes and continued to sleep peacefully._

"Ah, here you are." The pretty voice was distant as I stirred from sleep, but tried not to wake up.

"Five more minutes, please," I yawned, realizing that I had been on my side for a while.

"As polite as your request is, it is time for you to wake up."

I groaned, recognizing the voice. "N-Nero?" I mumbled as I forced myself into a sitting position.

"Yes?"

"Are we here?"

"We have landed." He nodded as I got up. "However, you were not present, and I was…" he paused again, eyes leaving mine before he looked back and said, "…elected, to find you."

"Sorry," I giggled, still half asleep. "Did it take too long?"

"No," he replied, "Once my darkness has touched something, it leaves something of…a marker, you see."

"Oh." I nodded. "Thanks for not leaving me behind, Nero."

The way his eyes squinted briefly, I thought he smiled. "Well, perhaps we should be on our way?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I don't wanna keep anyone waiting."

I followed Nero through the halls until we were at the room with the hatch, already opened. Bright light was coming from outside, and I braced myself for that blasting radiance.

Squinting as I stepped onto the ground, I looked around and gasped. It had to be the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen—waterfalls, a rainbow, and it was surrounded by mountain ranges.

"Oh…" I breathed.

"So, where were you?" Derik asked, coming up at my side. I barely heard him, but I turned my head to respond.

"I fell asleep…sorry," I answered breathlessly, staring around. "So…where's this cave?"

"Up there…really far up there," Cloud said, nodding upward to a grassy climb that seemed to be a possible path.

"Damn, I don' wanna climb that…" Barret groaned.

"Maybe just one of us should go?" Tifa suggested, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just one of us could get lost, though."

"It's pretty easy to follow, just tiresome and time-consuming," Yuffie stated, not looking very optimistic about something for once.

Derik sighed and looked over at me.

"What?" I asked, placing a hand on my hip as he smiled. "Derik, I'm not going up there for an obvious reason. Shelke should go." I put a hand out, patting the small girl's head.

"Don't think you can handle it?" Derik asked, grinning.

"I can handle it, but I think it would be better for Shelke to go--"

"Victoria Carlton," Shelke said, immediately drawing my attention to her big, blue eyes. "Are you afraid that you'll react badly if he is not there?"

I shook my head. "He's up there; I'm just not the one who's supposed to go find him." I really wanted to—I really, really, _really_ wanted to. But it was supposed to be Shelke who went up there.

"And what would lead you to believe that is so, Victoria?" Nero questioned, causing my resolve to let the part play out as it should to waver.

"…"

"Go!" Yuffie shouted, planting a light kick to my rear. I yelped, turning to glare at her. "If he's up there, it should be you to greet him. You helped him the most throughout this, after all!"

"I did not--" I looked down, blushing.

"_She did most of the helping."_

I didn't believe Derik. He may have meant it, but I certainly didn't think it was true.

"Don't worry about it," Tifa said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

I looked down.

"_I think there's such thing as too nice. We're all alive, though, so it's fine."_

That was a really crappy last conversation with Vincent before all the crap with Omega had happened.

"The sooner you get his ass down here the faster you can tell us all whatever it is that you want to, so HURRY IT UP!!" Yuffie shouted, pointing a finger at the rather steep climb. "Now!"

"You want to come with me?" I asked Shelke almost pleadingly, and she shook her head, smiled, and stepped back. "Derik?"

"I'm good here."

"Yuffie?"

"Don't feel like it. I think you're afraid of facing Vincent alone."

"I'm gonna make you eat those words," I vowed, turning towards the rise of ground and taking long, purposeful strides.

Okay, I admit it. I didn't like being alone with Vincent, because the first time we met I was alone with him and the conversation made me sad. I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and cast a glance over my shoulder. Shelke was supposed to do this. I was going to be all alone for as long as it would take for me to get to the cave. I looked back ahead, looking down. The air was easy to breath, and—though it was an odd way to describe air—it tasted good, too. Plants grew all around the natural pathway, and I raised my foot onto a sudden, steep rise in elevation and forced my body to follow.

I had a lot of cuts and scraped by the time I could no longer see my friends, and I realized that I was dangerously high up—if I slipped and fell, I would die. My heart began to pound as I kicked a rock, and it tumbled off the edge and…

I let a whimper loose, shutting my eyes for a minute. Opening them up again, I hopped up to grab the top of the ledge, getting a grip on some of the thick-stemmed plants while I scrambled up the side and landed on my knees. I looked up, and saw a slab of rock that stuck out far…and knew I was close. Almost to the top…almost there.

When I got there, moved to the edge of the, near where Shelke would be but a bit closer to the edge, and looked out over the view. I drew in a deep breath and let it out in a content "ahhh…"

I could see the body of water far below now—a very deep lake. The breeze was nice, and soothing, and suddenly heights didn't seem so bad now. I cast a look over my shoulder to the cave—I couldn't see anything due to the fact that it was so bright where I was, and the light in the cave was dim.

"Guess I'll wait for him," I sighed softly, leaning back and closing my eyes. I had my arms folded behind my head comfortable, and one leg folded over the other, crossing at the knee.

I dozed on and off for a while, but I tensed up and went on alert as I heard footsteps approaching. Opening my eyes, I arched my neck back to look upside-down at a familiar, surprised face. Sitting, standing, and turning around, I took the sight of Vincent in.

"Good to see you in one piece," I said, sighing in relief. "I…I was worried. We all were…" I looked down, brushing some of my bangs from my face. "Sorry, I…I guess you were expecting Shelke…" Glancing back up, I almost smiled as he gave a gentle shake of his head.

Vincent looked so beautiful in the sunlight, the wind causing his hair and cape to blow to one side. He opened his mouth like he was trying to think of something to say, but only made a soft noise and closed it again.

"This is the first time I've seen you at a loss for words," I mumbled. "Are you really that upset about seeing me?"

"No," he said, the sound of his voice easing almost all of my worries immediately. "It's good to see you." Something in me snapped, and I closed the space between us and gave him a tight hug, trying not to cry.

"Are you alright?" Vincent asked immediately, putting his arms around my upper back to return the hug. I nodded rapidly against his shoulder, still holding back tears. He didn't push me away; just pulled back a little bit and looked down at me with a rare, gentle smile. "I'm alive, and that's not going to change any time soon."

"Damn straight!" I responded with a nervous laugh, and something told me he was about to comment on my language, but I reached into my pocket. "Here." I took his right hand and dropped the Cerberus relief into it. "You dropped this, Vincent."

"…Huh." He glanced down to his gun as he switched the relief to his left hand, drew it, and nodded. "I guess it broke off at some point. I'll fix it later…" he looked at me and frowned. "How'd you get here?"

I facepalmed. "An airship…the Shera went down, but we used one of the WRO ones and…well, umm…anyways, everyone's here now. Aaaand uh, about Nero…" I smiled a little, taking an embarrassed step back. "He's…not…an enemy anymore…and he's recovered and stuff, so…he's down there too."

"I see," he murmured. "We should head down." Without thinking, I glanced into the cave again. Vincent noticed, and said, "…Lucrecia is in there. What's left of her soul is sealed inside of a mako crystal."

I nodded. "I won't ask anymore than that…as long as you're safe." I blushed, glancing downward.

"Tory," Vincent said in an awkward tone, and I carefully directed my gaze to his own vivid red eyes.

"H-huh?"

"Thanks."

I felt my face heat even more. "For what?" I asked quickly.

"For bearing with me through it all." He paused, and then continued, "You became more confident in yourself as you went." He holstered Cerberus, his eyes not wavering.

"You and Derik," I shrugged, forcing myself not to look up or down, "You both helped me build that confidence by placing a burden on my shoulders too great to ignore. You _trusted_ me with that burden."

Finally, he looked away, looking up to the sky. "I was returning something you gave to me the first time we spoke."

"…You're making it really hard not to hug you again," I grumbled, crossing my arms. He sighed, and shook his head in obvious amusement.

"I'll let you get away with it now," he chuckled—a nice sound coming from him. "Just don't make it a habit." With that, I hugged him again, appreciating the fact that he wasn't mad about my affection.

"I'll only hug you if you do something stupid, like making every one of your friends worry. Because I don't CARE how strong you are, and how well you handle yourself…everyone has a weakness." I pulled back and let him go, sighing. "And I can tell you've had problems in the past with Hojo. But…It wasn't him in the end, was it? Did you fight Weiss?"

"No. I found Omega pulling his strings like a puppet." Vincent said this as he moved to the edge on the left side. "Come on."

"Okay, Vincent."

"Everyone's here now," Derik said. "You should tell them." We were still off of the ship, and Yuffie had just finished yelling at Vincent for making everyone worry. I pouted.

"Why can't _you_ tell them?" I demanded, crossing my arms.

"It was your idea," he reasoned with a shrug.

"But I dunno how to tell them…"

"Same way you told Nero." Derik smirked.

"But…I wasn't speaking to an entire group at that point?"

"What the hell're you kids talkin' 'bout?" Cid cut in, both hands on his hips. It got really quiet, and I took this as a good moment as any.

"Derik and I come from another planet called Earth." I blurted it all out at once, waiting for the shock after the words set in. Cid's cigarette almost fell from his mouth, for example.

"Did you fall and hit your head?" Yuffie asked, obviously worried.

"No." Derik shook his head. "We're serious." I looked to Vincent, who seemed…surprised, yes, but not shocked. I then looked down and spoke.

"We were sent here by former Shinra employees that got to our world…" I stated, feeling a sharp pain shoot through my head a minute later. Derik seemed to feel a similar pain, because he winced.

"What?" Cloud said, loudly. He looked kinda angry.

"Victoria," Reeve said, "Are you sure you're fine?"

"I don't know many of the last names," I said quickly, "But there's Adam, Alexandra, Emily, and then Hunter and Dustin are twins…there last name is, ummm…Ender! They sent our consciousnesses…our souls…gosh, how did he explain it?" I tried to remember Genesis's exact words, but. "The lifestream created bodies for us, and…well, here we are…"

"Hunter and Dustin Ender," Reeve repeated, eyebrows shooting up. "They disappeared _years_ ago!"

The pain intensified, and I grimaced.

"_That's enough! What the hell are you doing?!" _I grasped the back of my head, crying out in pain as Derik cursed loudly.

"Hey!!" Cid caught me as I began to fall forward, my legs giving out.

"Apparently they don't appreciate us ratting them out," Derik said with a grimace.

"_No, we really don't."_

I started laughing as I stumbled back away from Cid. "This is _so _stupid!! They manipulate us and hurt as, but won't show their faces…"

_You cowards._ Everything blurred around me, and I fell back, the world darkening until all was black.

I was floating, and I could hear all the voices of my friends, shouting as something happened. I…I also heard Adam.

"…I don't wanna go back yet," I growled angrily. I held onto Vincent's voice—he was speaking to me. "You can't make me go back yet…" I saw red, black, and a color close to white as my vision returned, and I realized I was looking at Vincent's face. I tried to smile, considering the pain was gone, but I couldn't move _anything. _Anything but my eyes.

_If nothing happens to this body, I'll come back._

"Tory," he said, shaking me lightly.

_I…I think that this is goodbye._ A tear slid down my cheek, and Vincent's eyes widened as he saw something off to the side. _Did Derik pass out, or is it something else…?_

I had a weak grip on the reality ahead of me as I was set carefully on the ground, and Vincent disappeared from my line of vision. Everything was too bright to see, but I saw the occasional movement and heard lots of shouting. I was fading so fast.

_Well damn…I don't even have the strength to give some sort of 'before death' speech like Axel and Zack…_

_Bye, Vincent…thank you._

**The next chapter is the wrap-up, you guys. It's really killing me, too.**

**Sorry for the poor quality of this chapter, again. Things happened kind of fast, but they were supposed to, even if I myself didn't like it. Hopefully things in the next chapter should explain.**


	22. The Price I'll Pay

**Crystal Cerberus**

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: the Price I'll pay to stay With Them**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of great significance.**

**A/N: Depending on how this goes, ****this IS the last chapter****. I've been given…ideas…by a certain someone…for an interesting plot twist that makes my stomach churn just thinking about it—and not in a particularly good way. But everything works out in the end.**

**Rixah, this may disappoint you, but…I refuse to take it to a more violent level on the account that it would be physically impossible.**

**Oh, and the secret behind that nagging feeling in the back of my head that if anything happened to Vincent I was in deep shit is finally revealed!!**

**WARNING: Violence, insanity—as in crazy people—etc. And little kids.**

**This chapter made me think of the fact that I started this a LONG time ago. O.o**

**Thanks for helping me figure this out, Derik!!**

Suddenly, the blackness I was falling back into changed—the noise seemed eerily familiar, and there was dark purple, blue, and black swirling around me. I could see my own hands again, and when I tried to, I realized I could sit up.

"Agh…" I groaned, placing a hand against my head. I was completely myself again, I realized through the pain. But everything was so…so heavy around me; it was hard to breathe.

_This darkness…_ I blinked a couple times, trying not to let them close. _…This is…Nero's darkness? They…they can't get me in here… _It was cold, but much more tolerable than any winter I was used to. _I'm…safe._

_Safe…_

…_am I really?_

…_I gotta trust Nero…_

_Yeah…he…helped me after all, right?_

I had a tingling feeling washing through my limbs, a pleasant sensation that made goosebumps rise on my skin at the cold. I was alive, and though my thoughts were slightly scattered, my anxiety was gone, and my fear of things lurking in the dark with it. The piercing pain coming from my head and stinging in my limbs was slowly fading, and as I relaxed breathing was an easier task. My eyes shut as I gave into the lullaby Nero was so strangely fond of.

_I turned off the GameCube after saving my Tales of Symphonia game, and turned off my small TV as I stood up to leave the room. It was three o'clock in the morning, and Beth was already asleep in her bed. I was surprised she hadn't woken up once from the volume I had it set on. I carefully shut the door as not to wake her, and walked past the front door…and froze._

"_Shhhh!!!" I heard a male voice hiss faintly. _

_A female voice responded. "The lights are all out, I think everyone's asleep by now…"_

_I grabbed the wooden practice staff from near the door, swung it open, opened the screen door and landed on the porch, ready to swing._

_One of the two was behind me before I could register it, a hand clapped over my mouth and one hand moving to my neck as I struggled, trying to scream._

_Two fingers pushed down on a part of my neck, and all went dark around me._

I was bathed in a warm light, and deposited into a pair of arms that easily held me up as the last bit of darkness faded from around me.

"See? She is intact," a voice said, matter-of factly… in an accent…a really, really, sexy accent, right next to me. I blinked until my eyes focused on the side of a face, partially covered in metal plates.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Neeeroooooo…" I greeted him sleepily, giving him a goofy smile.

"Yeah, but her brain isn't!!" Another voice snorted, and I looked to see a girl that looked maybe fourteen…but was older than I was by far more than a year. Yuffie. I looked around to the familiar faces, registering each and every one of the ones I knew by name…and settled back on Yuffie.

"I beg yer pardon," I responded, waving an arm at her (and almost making myself fall out of Nero's arms in the process), "My brain is JUST fine…" And I stopped, looking back up to Nero, around the room, and… "Where's Derik?" I thought he'd be there waiting for me, too…

I got an upset look from Yuffie, and saw a look of regret on Vincent's face…Shelke looked bothered, and I realized most of my friends did. We were in the main deck of the ship, and by the clouds surrounding us, we were flying.

"Uhh…" Yuffie seemed stuck for words.

"What's with the faces?" I asked, kicking my legs slightly. Nero set me on my feet, getting the hint, but kept a hand tightly on my shoulder as I nearly fell again. "Yuffie…?"

"He…he went home," she said, "After you…kinda passed out, a girl from…Gemini…came, and…well, he attacked her."

"He killed her," Vincent continued when Yuffie stopped. "Before she attacked, she told us that it's necessary to kill the body here, or else an empty shell would be left behind."

"And that's why she came—to get rid of you guys," Cloud threw in. He looked more frustrated than angry and confused, which relieved me—a little.

"As long as nothing happens to the original body, the soul stays intact and will return to that body. Alexander Cylek was born here, in this world, and…Derik killed her original body, so she's gone for good. And then, uh…a while ago, an emergency hatch opened…" Yuffie paused, biting her lip. "I volunteered to go, since Derik wasn't in here and I was worried…and when I got there, he was holding his materia and standing by the opened hatch with his gunblade like this." My eyes widened dramatically as Yuffie raised a hand out far like she was pointing something to her chest. I grimaced, looking down to hide my building tears. For a brief moment, I think Nero's hand squeezed my shoulder before falling away. The ninja approached me, holding out blazing red materia that had heat rolling off in waves as I took it. "Here…Tory. He said to me, 'My part here is over. Give this to Tory and tell her to take care.' And then…he threw the materia at me, stabbed himself and fell out before I could stop him."

"Thank you, Yuffie," I said softly, staring down at the orb. Sighing sadly, I unbound the Fire materia in my arm and caught it carefully, almost dropping it before placing Derik's in my arm where it would be safe. As for the other materia, I tucked it into my pocket and blinked tears away.

"Yeah…" she sighed quietly. I was almost shocked by the heat I felt going through my arm from the materia.

"That kid took her on 'imself!" Cid shouted, throwing his arms up for a minute before putting them back on the wheel. "Said to take care of you. And _what _does _he_--" he waved a hand to Nero –"do?!"

"Make it so they can't reach me," I said, smiling weakly. "Derik has a girlfriend to go back to, and my family should take it well once they know I'm okay. And…now that he knows it's okay, I guess he figured his business was done." I was feeling a little better already, thanks to Cid's not-so-subtle attempt at lightening the mood.

"Tory." Vincent caught my attention quickly, and I turned my head to him. "You said they couldn't reach you…?"

I nodded. "Once Nero pulled me into the darkness," I paused, wanting to find a way to describe the situation properly, "It…it wasn't all that scary…but it was like bits and pieces of me were being pulled apart, but put back and stuff when he did it…and anyways, it seems the darkness causes the chip to malfunction or shut down…but it was goofed before that. But now that I'm out of it, they could retaliate at any given time."

"Hmph…I suppose it depends on the two who are in charge?" I nodded when Vincent said this.

"They won't be too happy about Alexandra," I sighed and nodded, "And they've got scientists and ex-Turks…" Pausing, I looked him in the eye and said, "And I know damn well that there's not a single Turk or ex-Turk that's dangerous." Tifa looked like she was about to comment on my language—like Vincent had been about to earlier, and I raised an eyebrow at her. Denzel had said a more…vulgar word in Advent Children.

"…You have a point there," Cloud said with a light shrug. "But we can take them on."

"And also, Victoria," Shelke said, "Alexandra Cylek mentioned the chip was implanted in your skull to monitor your behavior and contact you?" I nodded. "…And also to force you down so you cannot defend yourself against them."

"Uhh…yeah," I agreed, looking down.

"That is unacceptable," Nero said, and I jumped in surprise as the oblivion picked up speed and howled. His eyes were narrowed dangerously as well.

"I agree," Shelke stated, her hands balling into fists. That was enough of a gesture, despite her slightly more calm facial expression to tell me that she was PISSED. But I knew why—the Restrictor had chips implanted in the brain stems of the Tsviets to keep them from killing him, but…

Well…I really didn't wanna think about that. Let's just say it worked out for the Tsviets in the end.

"Don't worry, Victoria," Reeve said, and I realized that I was about to cry again. He came forward, setting a hand on my shoulder. "The chip _can_ and_ will_ be removed." What the hell was with people and my shoulder today?! I pushed aside my irritation, however, and appreciated the comfort.

"Yeah!" Cid agreed, glancing down to smirk at me. "They ain't getting' away with messin' with you guys! You're one of us, now, after all." I smiled, and laughed at his next statement. "Even though you're an alien."

"Well, at least I'm a human alien." I paused as my smile faded, and my stomach churned while my vision warped for a minute and I began to feel odd, hateful thoughts floating through my head. There were quiet whispers that weren't there before—I couldn't make out the words, but they sounded…malevolent, malicious, somewhere along those lines. Reeve dropped his hand and gave me a concerned look for a minute.

"Come on, aren't you excited?" Tifa laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "We're gonna fix things, and…"

"Yeah," I said abruptly, forcing the voices down for the time being. I showed a smile, and added, "I'm…I'm gonna miss Derik, but as long as he's home safe with Jeri…"

Yuffie nodded at that, rubbing a finger under her nose as she sniffed. "I'm gonna miss him too…"

"So he didn't question my wanting to stay…?" I questioned, feeling at a bit of a loss despite the fact that I was glad I hadn't been taken back.

It seemed to please Tifa the most that I was staying, and Vincent and Yuffie were definitely happy about it too—despite the fact that Vincent was more…subtle about it, I figured he was glad I was staying here. And well…I was pretty well accepted by everyone, and had a lot of friends so far, to say the least.

"No. Like Yuffie said, though…he told you to take care, though, which means he left you…in _our_ care," Vincent sighed. "Which reminds me…Yuffie--" his red eyes fixed on the ninja. "I am not in dire need of being taken care of." Yuffie's face lit up, and I stared in confusion as Tifa giggled at them.

"Have I missed something?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

"Well, uhhh…" my extremely short friend scratched the back of her head. "Y-y'see, after you finally fell asleep after that time in Nibelheim, I was talking to Derik about not feeling comfortable leaving Vincent in the care of some stranger." I raised an eyebrow, and opened my mouth to say something, but she raised a hand to stop me. "Derik…brought it up when we got on the ship…So anyways, he convinced me you were trustworthy and Vincent would be safe if I left him in your care…"

I was stuck between feeling stupid and flattered, and I found myself laughing. Way to go, Derik! "Oh my gosh--" I gasped between loud bursts of psychotic-sounding cackles that rivaled Hojo's, "—you—you ACTUALLY…?!"

"…Is she gonna be okay?" Cloud asked as I almost hit the floor.

"It's not funny!" Vincent huffed. Barret starting laughing, and so did Cid, and soon I had almost everyone showing some sort of sign of amusement, even a soft chuckle from Nero. It wasn't often that Vincent got angry, but…was that really anger?

"Can't breathe!!" I gasped loudly, finally dropping to my side. The soft chuckle from Nero repeated itself as he presented a hand to me, and I continued to laugh while in my head, I was squeeing—Nero had a light sound for his laugh, one that was pleasant and pretty.

"I had no idea you were only _thirteen_ then," Yuffie reasoned through fits and giggles. "You look about as old as I do!! I wouldn't have said it…if I knew, but you still managed really well…"

I took Nero's hand, and he dragged me to my feet.

"Thank you," I giggled.

"Of course..." he responded, making sure I could stand again before letting go.

"I wasn't the only one!!" Yuffie shouted suddenly, "WEISS DID THE SAME THING!!!"

"At least Vincent as a few years on Nero," I responded.

"Try nearly forty," Vincent threw in, ducking his head and crossing his arms as he hid some of his face from view.

I didn't laugh. Genuine shock settled in my system from him _finally _coming out with that in front of me. Even though I knew about it already, it was…somehow surprising.

"Are you okay, Tory?" Tifa asked, smiling at me in a perfectly knowing way.

I opened my mouth, waited a second, and closed it. This repeated three or four times until I finally got a coherent noise to come out.

"…You look…like…twenty…"

"Hmph…I know…" Vincent muttered softly.

"Breaks your heart, doesn't it, Tory?" Yuffie asked after a minute, and my face felt like it was suddenly on fire.

"YUFFIE!!!" I squeaked, "NO!!! No, no, no, no, no no no NO!!!!"

"If you're embarrassed about how red your face is," Yuffie grinned as I stalked forward toward her, "Just look at Vincent!"

My curiosity got the better of me, and I looked at him. A pink tint adorned his normally pale features, and though he seemed to be trying to look fine, the embarrassment I saw when he glared at Yuffie told me Yuffie's words had affected him. I glared at Yuffie as well, and she began to back up. Seeing Vincent bothered…was the last straw.

"Isn't he so cute?" Yuffie went on frantically as she passed him. I continued forward after her.

"_Urusai, gaki!_" I snapped. Yuffie responded with a string of what was probably Wutaian insults, but suddenly stopped.

"Where did you learn _that_?" she questioned, seeming surprised.

My anger not lessening as I grabbed her by her shirt, I said, "Wutaian is pretty much Japanese, which is another country in the world where I'm from." I raised a fist to punch her, and she cringed, but a hand caught my wrist before I could.

"Tory…" Vincent said, pulling me back, "It's fine."

"THANK YOU VINCENT!!!" Yuffie shouted, scrambling away from me.

"I didn't do it to get you out of that," he responded in an almost harsh tone, his eyes lowering again. I turned kind of pink and said,

"Sorry…"

"It's no' like she di'n't d'serve it," Barret grumbled, causing Yuffie to pout.

"You're really mean!!" Yuffie accused dramatically, causing me to giggle.

"See? I'm not the only one," I said in an obviously triumphant way. Changing the subject for obvious reasons, Tifa cut in.

"So Tory, can you tell us a bit about your home?"

I grinned. "I don't see why not…but if Gemini cuts in," I turned to Nero, "Can you…?" He nodded. "Okay then…let's see, umm…I live in the country, away from most cities, and the nearest actual CITY city is pretty far away itself…Earth doesn't have mako or magic or anything, but it lives on anyway." Laughing at their obvious shock, I went on. "We have a president that runs out country, _but!_" I raised a finger and said, "I left during the election. So I don't know who the new president is or will be, but anyone is better than the one there while we left. There are cabinet members and stuff, but…" I paused. "I'm…I'm really not to good with government and politics and all that crap, but…well, our government can be stupid at times, but we have a lot of freedom and stuff and…well…"

"You're trying to get to the point that it's better than Shinra," Tifa said.

"Exactly," I agreed. "But our world is pretty messed up, too…it's huge, with a ton of countries, and states, and…well…" I wanted to move on. "But anyways, I have six horses—or _had _six horses—I'm not going back." When I saw their confused faces, I groaned. "Do you guys know what unicorns look like?"

"Are those what you call horses?" Cloud questioned. I felt like I was educated a bunch of little kids, and Cloud's open expression didn't help.

"They look like unicorns without the horns," I shrugged, "And instead of the whole, 'hold your chocobos,' it's 'hold your horses' back home."

"So do you ride them like chocobos?" Yuffie asked, obviously not freaking out anymore.

"Yup." I grinned once again, flashing back to my two boys. "Sweet animals, too…" I paused, remembering MOM's horse. "Except…Kozmo."

"Why?" Tifa asked.

"Let's just say I compared Azul's attacks to Kozmo's brutality towards me." I facepalmed, sighing heavily.

"I hope that is at least a _bit_ of an exaggeration?" Shelke said with a mild flinch. I didn't blame her, but I was surprised by the show of emotion at the memory.

"Yeah."

"So," Barret said, drawing back to another subject earlier mentioned, "How can the planet live without mako?"

I groaned out, "That would be something I _don't_ know. We have lava beneath the surface of the earth, though."

"So if instead of mako, you have lava, does that mean there are volcanoes _everywhere?_" Yuffie asked.

"Not everywhere," I responded, frowning. "Thank goodness for that, and another thing…It can get really cold because the lava's really far from the surface. But…in a lot of places, there are lots of volcanoes. I'm not too great at geography in either of the worlds. But I probably know a lot more about this world than my own…" I blushed as I said it, feeling stupid. "Let's just say…Gemini wanted us to be…educated, before they sent us here."

"So it wouldn't be so obvious that you weren't from here, right?" It was Cloud who figured that. I was lying again, but I wouldn't let them find out that in my world, there were video games about them.

"Uh-huh." I smiled a little. "And I'm…sorry I lied to you guys."

Reeve let out a laugh, and responded to that truthfully. "I doubt we would have believed you if you had told us when we first met!" he said, smiling.

"You guys…didn't…believe me anyways…" I mumbled, "Until Alexandra showed up, you got angry, and…"

"Sorry about that, Little Lady," Cid sighed, looking at me from the wheel. "Didn't know another planet could sustain life, I guess." I nodded weakly at him. I saw Cloud's face take on one of thought and worry.

"So…" Nanaki said, drawing my attention from the blonde. "How is it that you have the powers of the Cetra?"

"Oh!!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers as I watched the ones who didn't know about that look at me in confusion. "Right, they injected me with the cells of a Cetra--" I paused, not wanting to know how they got them and shuddered—"and…well, I dunno."

"Shinra trash!!" Barret shouted, causing me to jump.

"Hey," I sighed, "Not all of them--"

"Yes, all of them!! Aside from Vincent and Cloud and…and…" Yuffie stopped, scrunching up her face as she tried to remember something. "Well…there was this one guy who…" she giggled, "He was nice. I um, 'attacked' him when I was really little and he played along…" her face brightened with a blush, and she continued, "Now that I think of it, I feel really stupid. Anyways, I HATE Shinra!"

"Hold old were you then?" I asked, knowing who she meant. It was Zack.

"…Around your age, but a bit younger? Nine or ten, not too much…younger than you…"

I sighed. "Wow, Yuffie, weren't you a bit old to be playing games like _that?_"

"You know," Tifa said, crossing her arms and smiling at me, "You're really mature for your age."

"I…I get that a lot…thanks."

"Well, it's true."

"But…anyways, I'm not happy at all with what Shinra did, but they're human too. The Turks are assassins, and they may seem devoid of emotion, but they can laugh, joke, be stupid, make mistakes…be really nice and stuff and save me time and time again and be totally cool?" Mostly, I was describing Reno. That last bit was directed to Vincent, who had glanced sidelong at me. I decided to move on. "And SOLDIER? Think, you guys. Some wanted to be famous, and some just wanted to try something new; go on an adventure." That brought me to a subject I would have to tread on lightly. "And…one man didn't have a choice…" My voice lowered as I tried to push my guilt aside, considering I shouldn't have been feeling it—I didn't do anything to him. "He was born into it. He didn't have a freaking choice! I don't think I have to name him."

"Sephiroth," Cloud said, his voice filled with obvious hatred. Vincent's eyes flickered downward, and I sighed, putting a hand on my hip. I couldn't say much, because I had "just" learned that Vincent was sixty.

"Yeah," I said. "…And I'm sorry, about what all of you went through…"

"Why?" Vincent questioned, red orbs catching and trapping my gaze.

"…Because…I know…that you were all affected badly somehow by him…it's obvious." I bit my lip hard for a minute, trying to fight the guilt back once more. "And I shouldn't have brought it up. Sorry." Silence followed for a minute, before Cloud broke it.

"I mean it when I say that it doesn't matter anymore. He's gone…and even if he comes back, we'll just get rid of him again." He sounded so confident, so sure. "…So don't worry, okay?"

_Cloud…he was toying with you in that last fight…_

"…I…" it was hard to speak all of a sudden, when a conversation between Zack and Sephiroth floated into my head. Sephiroth _had _cared, he _was_ human…he had smiled…

"Hey, come back here, where ya goin'?" Yuffie said loudly, waving a hand in front of my face.

"About…three years back, when I first learned about this world," I answered, flinching back a bit. "I remember when I had no idea who Sephiroth was, or SOLDIER, or…mako or the lifestream…and even then, I didn't think it was real…it just seemed so magical, and amazing compared to my life…"

"Do you regret coming here?" Reeve asked, obviously wanting an honest answer. "Or perhaps learning of our existence in the first place?"

"No. I regret ending the lives of my enemies, but not meeting all of you in the process. Heck, I'm happy I met Nero. He and Shelke both started as enemies, and they're my buddies now!!" I laughed as I said that last part, turning to smile at him. He was still standing a bit away from the group, and he turned his head away. "…At least I think so…"

"Why is that?" he mumbled so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

"Various reasons!" I grinned, placing both hands on my hips. "You're quiet and polite when you're not defending your brother, and you've showed that you're just as human as the rest of us—like Shelke has proved it, too." I waited a minute, but when I didn't get a response, I went on. "And you've saved me whereas you could've easily let my consciousness be dragged back to Earth. Thanks."

"…May I ask something?" he questioned suddenly, turning his head to look me in the eye as he approached the group.

"Ask away."

"What prompted you to throw your weapon at me in such a manner that it would effectively knock me down in my weakened state, without furthering any wounds?"

"Gimme a sec," I said as his words took their time registering. "Oh. I dunno. I got a bad feeling something would happen if you went in there. Your brother at the time _was _possessed by Hojo, and…well, he said you'd served your purpose and thanked us for disposing of you, which we obviously didn't."

"So I guess you figured he'd be killed if he went in there?" Yuffie asked, twirling. "See, Nero? She's a smart little thing, huh?"

"So you stopped me."

I shrugged. "Look, when Vincent still had the Protomateria, he was in Edge fighting Rosso and Chaos went cuckoo. I didn't know if Omega would be able to manipulate Weiss the same way, but either way…you seemed like you actually had a few traces of sanity left…which Rosso didn't and Azul barely had self control."

"A _few_ scraps of sanity?" Nero narrowed his eyes. "I am perfectly sane, I will let you know, and I will admit to losing my control over the darkness once in a while, but--"

"Nero," Shelke said softly, "she was referring to when she was still your enemy."

"Thank you, Shelke," I sighed in relief. "I know you're sane now, Nero…"

"…hmph…"

I giggled, earning a half-hearted glare from the dark Tsviet. "You look like a little kid when you do that." This seemed to surprise him.

"…I do not."

"Yeah you do."

"I am not a child."

"I didn't say you were. I was just saying you _look _like one."

"I suppose it would worsen the argument if I told you to act your age?" Nero sighed, and I imagined a pout beneath the plates.

"Yeah. I'll show you what would happen if I acted like some of the other kids from school." I cleared my throat and looked at Yuffie, deciding that acting stupid in front of these guys wasn't going to lower their opinion of me. "Follow my lead and pretend you're a kid again." I began to skip in circles around Nero and sang, "Nero's a widdle kiddie, Nero's a widdle kiddie," with Yuffie coming in and helping a second later before I finally stopped and patted Nero on the shoulder.

"…Please do not do that again."

"I won't. Can't promise Yuffie won't, though."

"Nope," Yuffie added with a giggle.

"…" I sighed.

"What's wrong, Tor?" the short ninja questioned.

"…I miss Derik…" I said, lower lip sticking out slightly as I looked at Yuffie. "…well, uhh, how did the fight go?"

"That bitch didn't stand a chance!!" Yuffie said, the mood lightening a bit. "It barely lasted two minutes!! Okay, maybe three, but Derik was barely wounded!!"

"W-was it epic?" I sniffed, giggling a little through my tears.

"…I suppose you could call it that," Vincent said. "He did very well." In Vincentese, that meant "He kicked ass harder than I thought imaginable."

"Hope he's home safe. Umm…how did Alexandra get here, though?"

"It was like she warped in," Yuffie said, scowling. "Made a dramatic entrance, landing on the water and walking across it all gracefully and crap!!"

"Hmm…Are you upset because dramatic entrances are your thing?"

"Yes!!!"

"Yuffie, this isn't meant to flatter you, but you really are cooler than her."

"Yes, I know."

"I have to go with that," Tifa said with a soft smile, "Alexandra was really harsh and rude."

"Umm, so." I looked at the orange sky around the ship, and asked, "Where are we going?"

"We're goin' back to Edge," Cid snorted, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are we there yet?"

"Don'choo even start."

"How 'bout now?"

"No!"

"Now?"

"NO!"

The game only lasted so long until Cloud suggested I stop before Cid "gets really cranky." I agreed, apologizing to Cid. When we finally got back to Edge, Tifa was treating the adults to a drink, and I got chocolate milk.

All was well and good.

The end.

That's a load of BULL SHIT, as I soon realized.

No, Tory doesn't get a simple glass of chocolate milk. Poor Tory was happy as a clam, wherever the heck that expression came from, minding her own business (poking fun at Cloud's adorable hair), and something went wrong.

Something went terribly wrong, and I couldn't help it. At the time I didn't even remember what I had been doing a second before, but suddenly, I was in a field in the middle of the night, surrounded by a swarm of monsters. My body reacted on its own, as if I'd hit an "auto-pilot" button, and rather than attacking at first, they seemed to back away before moving in rapidly and enclosing me. One, I had shot twice in the arm and it was lying on the ground and screaming in a way that seemed eerily familiar. It was also the second smallest. One was circling me slowly, while the rest seemed to hold still. I kept my gaze locked on the one circling me, my gun following its movements. It was tall and thin, and its eyes were a burning red. The only other thing I could make out was the talons on the left arm, which were considerable longer than the ones on the right. There was one with bat wings, and it was making a roaring sound that didn't seem to be coming from its mouth.

A few of them were tending to the one I had hurt, but that _one_ kept circling me.

"**Can you here me?"** it asked, its voice a deep, distorted-sounding rumble. I reacted by making a move to pull the trigger, but something struck me in the back of my head so hard I was sent to the ground, crying out in pain.

"Ahh!!" I gasped as I rolled onto my back, a form above me slipping into three or four before phasing back to itself, and blurring and unblurring. It…it was _Cloud_. "What…the…he--" The word froze on my tongue as First Tsurugi's edge was placed beneath my chin. I heard something that sounded like crying…I looked over and saw a blurry version of Tifa holding Yuffie up while tending to her arm, which had red all over it. Also red, was most of who now kneeled down near me, but there was just as much black. "Vin…cent?" I questioned, breathing heavily as my eyes filled with tears.

"What' th' fuck wuzzat?!" Barret promptly bellowed, adding to my powerful headache. Cloud had obviously hit me to the ground, but I was too disoriented from the blow to register more than that.

"Cloud?" I mumbled through the haze of pain that was becoming more and more distant. The edges of my vision were going black, and my head fell to the side to get a better look of Yuffie. I couldn't see anything aside from Nero approaching, but I couldn't even see his facial expression.

The three that surrounded me began to talk, and that was about the time I lost consciousness.

I woke up in a bed again, gasping for breath. I remembered the night before, hoping it was a dream—but the sharp, throbbing pain in the back of my skull told me otherwise. I reached out and took my glasses from the bedside table, scrambling into the room Yuffie usually slept in.

"Oh…" I whispered, eyes widening as I saw her in the bed, asleep, with one arm above the sheets and bandaged. Her face twisted, and she blinked her eyes open, which immediately fixed on me. "Y—Yuffie…"

"Tory--" she began to say, sitting up. Her eyes were wide, and her expression was hard to read.

I bolted immediately, getting halfway down the stairs before I jumped and landed on the floor, turning for the door. I sensed someone behind me, and felt the tension in the air, but didn't wait to see who it was that was coming towards me. I continued out the door, adrenaline already kicking in as a soft cry of distress passed my lips.

It was dark out, probably in the early morning hours still. No one was out, and my bare feet barely made any noise at all. I was running as quickly as I could, and I heard a voice shout from behind me. Cloud was calling me. Not too much longer after that and I heard a motorcycle starting and I ducked into an alleyway, emerging on the other side of the buildings and running forward. I was running in the direction of Midgar, where there was enough rubble and debris to hide.

Crying made running almost impossible, and my tears came in near waterfalls as I tripped, landing on my left arm and skidding. It stung violently, but it wasn't as bad as my head. I got back up and started running, jumping as a lone car drove past me, and I ran across the street when it was out of the way. It was so quiet…I could hear Fenrir's engine as Cloud searched for me, and something else…it grew and grew, the closer I got to Midgar. During the day, busy lives and noises blocked it out, but I knew it was always there. It was the soft sound of the lifestream, probably coming from the reactors. I'd never been so sure about it.

My pace quickened as I thought I saw something up on a roof, and I whimpered in fear. I'd never been afraid of the dark. I was afraid of what was _in _it.

"Help," I whispered, shutting my eyes briefly, "I'm scared…" Whoever it was who I was whispering to, I didn't get an answer. I was on my own, and Derik wasn't going to be here to defend me this time. I kept running, and it became impossible to hear anything else aside from my own heartbeat, pounding wildly in my chest.

I couldn't have been more scared if Sephiroth himself popped out—heck, I'd probably glomp him and squeal in both delight and relief.

I laughed at that thought, glancing over my shoulder—just as I crashed into a man.

"CRAP!!!" I screamed, grabbing the dude's sleeve while rolling so I'd take the landing blow. To my own surprise, his arm shot out and stopped him from hitting the ground while his other arm held me up by my shoulders. He got up, clearing his throat softly as he dusted his shoulder off. I almost squeaked as I heard another guy laughing.

"Aw, damn, man, I can't _tell _you how funny that looked!!" The laughing man said, in a voice I had recognized just from the laughing.

Reno.

And the guy who was getting up while holding me to his shoulder? Rude.

I backed up immediately, eyes wide as I saw them.

"…You alright?" Rude asked, shooting a glare at Reno.

"Uhh…yeah," I said, blushing. "I—I'm sorry."

"Huh…you in a hurry or what?" Reno questioned, stepping closer. I tensed, his eyes were on my bare feet.

"…" I didn't really know what to say. In all honesty, I wanted to be polite, and these were two of my favorite characters. "I…don't have time for this, I…"

I'd hurt Yuffie. I'd attacked one of my friends for no real reason other than I started seeing things that weren't there—or rather warped versions of what was there. Tifa hadn't done anything to my chocolate milk, and I highly doubted anyone else did. What was _wrong_ with me?! I needed to get as far away as possible.

_The chip. _The thought struck me hard in the face.

Oh God, Gemini was acting!! But…

I had started to back up again, but a question from Rude stopped me.

"Who's chasing you?" he looked tense, like he was sharing some of the unease I felt.

"…My friend…" I said softly, biting my lip.

"Don't seem like a friend to me, yo," Reno replied, frowning. "You need some help…?" He seemed serious; in fact, both of them did. And then…that whole "yo" at the end; I'd never heard or seen him say that, aside from in fan fictions.

"No!" I laughed nervously, "I just…" I combed down my bangs, considering the rest of my hair was still in a ponytail. But…something in their eyes…they were Turks, supposed to bury their emotions…I saw something that showed a sort of disgust that wasn't directed at me. I took a guess, and by the faces I got afterward, I was right about their assumptions. "It's not an abusive boyfriend problem!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "I ran out because I was upset because I did something stupid and I think he's mad at me even though he's not the type of guy to get that angry and—and now I feel really stupid because not only did I jump to the conclusion that he'd kill me but now I feel retarded for talking to complete and utter strangers about a problem."

Reno looked ready to say something, some of the…unease seeming to disappear for a minute, until there was a soft noise…a rumble.

"…Cloud," I muttered, recognizing the sound of Fenrir's engine. "Crap, I think he knows where I am…"

"You're runnin' from _Strife?"_ Reno asked, his face taking on a comically freaked out face.

"What did you do?" Rude inquired, frowning. These two knew as well as anyone that Cloud could be VERY dangerous.

…Well, I attacked one of Cloud's best friends, he knocked me out, I saw her face when I woke up and ran. Thinking back on her expression, which I had thought at the time was fear and resentment, had been…surprise and relief instead.

"I overreacted to something and ran out the door before I could ask anyone about what happened before," I sighed, partially in my own relief. "I panicked, figuring they'd be mad at me…" A wave of sadness washed over me as I could no longer hear the engine. "Umm…wow. Sorry, I uh…" I looked up to the both of them, blushing. "I just…unloaded a bunch of crap on you…"

"It's fine," Rude said.

"Mmmm…" Reno was looking at me, eyes narrowed, looking thoughtful. I decided I didn't like his thoughtful faces. "How old are you?"

I liked the infinite reasons for that type of question even less. "I'm thirteen, Sir…" I whispered, taking a cautious step back. He seemed to get the idea and put his hands up—I saw a black leather band on his wrist. His EMR…Turks were never unarmed.

"Whoa, hey, no!!" He said, shaking his head. "An' I ain't no 'Sir,' it's Reno, got it?"

_Memorized? _

He went on as I tried to keep a straight face. "I ain't gonna try nothin' yo."

"…I'm Tory." Being polite, I offered my hand to Rude, who took it and shook lightly.

"Rude," he grunted, pulling back. I held my hand out to Reno, who seemed a little reluctant to do something so formal, but he took it anyways and shook.

"Umm…" Suddenly, it felt awkward again. "I'd better be heading back." I pointed a thumb over my shoulder, and meant to turn around.

"That's not the right way," Rude said, hesitance obvious in his voice. I turned pink and looked back at him. "To the…Seventh Heaven…that's not the right way."

"…This is my first time leaving since I came to Edge…" I admitted, knowing this would result in my asking for directions, which would end in my getting lost.

"We ain't in no hurry," Reno said, smiling widely over at Rude. "The Boss gave us the night off, yo. Besides, I think we oughtta pay our old buddies a visit…no harm in walkin' the kid home, right?" Rude sighed, shaking his head lightly at Reno's reasoning.

"I…I'm sorry," I said, "You don't have to go through the trouble, I can find my way…" Okay, yeah, a lie.

"It's no trouble, yo," Reno said, and I took in a moment to look at his features. He seemed to do the same for a minute. "It's _waaaaaay_ to late for kids to be out."

He was pale, the moonlight shining down through a break in the clouds just enough to cast down on the three of us…his skin seemed to glow, and his sea green eyes, red hair and the red tattoos stuck out as well. He looked kind of like a fox…and he certainly didn't seem like the type that I should trust, but…Shinra was trying to fix things, and Reno was no child molester. An asshole sometimes, definitely, but he wasn't trying anything stupid. If not Reno, I trusted Rude.

"O…kay…thank you," I sighed.

"This way," Rude said, taking a left. I'd been zigzagging and running all over the place, so I really didn't have much of an idea, other than I had gotten closer to Midgar. I followed close, but not little-kid-oh-my-gosh-I'm-scared close.

"Well, FIND her, dammit!!" Yuffie was screaming into a cell phone, in the middle of the bar, as I peeked at her from the crack I had opened the door. "Before anything happens to her…Cloud, please, she could be hurt, or…or…GAH!!!"

"Hi, Yuffie," I said weakly as I stepped into the bar.

"Tory!!" Tifa shouted, smiling before she saw who was with me. "You!"

"Hello to you to," Reno greeted with a smirk. Rude shifted in discomfort.

"They brought me back…" I said, shutting the door behind the two of them.

"Cloud? Reno and Rude found her…" Yuffie paused, grinning at me. "Yeah, you better come soon." She flipped the phone shut, came forward smiling like she was gonna hug me…]

And even though I saw it coming, I didn't bother to dodge the slap. My face stung, but I was glad she was okay.

"You IDIOT!!! What the hell did you run off for?!" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "Did you honestly think I was mad? You were out of it, all of us could tell!!"

"…So was that slap for me freaking out and running?" I asked, totally forgetting that I had two confused but amused guys behind me.

"Yes."

I looked at her arm, then looked at Tifa, who was approaching me. She hugged me tightly, and I was reminded that I was weak compared to her, despite the two-inch height advantage I had. Almost grudgingly, she let go and looked at the two Turks, but her look of anger broke into a genuine smile. "Thank you, both of you." She looked back to me and said, "Everyone else but Shelke is out looking for you…I better start making some calls…"

…Everyone.

Was out looking…

For me…

"So, Lockheart," Reno said, grinning in a nearly feral manner, "long time no see."

"Should I wait upstairs for the grown-ups to finish talking, Yuffie?" I asked, trying not to smile.

"No, you're staying down here," Tifa responded, grabbing my shoulder before I could escape. "Good to see you guys. What can I get you?"

"I'm gonna sit down…" I muttered, feeling her hand slip away. I sat over in a corner, sighing and resting my cheek on my arms as they settled on the table. I was tired…and I was relieved. Picking my head up, I looked to Reno and Rude, mumbled another 'thank you' and fell asleep on the table before they could respond.

I was vaguely aware of a hand shaking my shoulder softly, and I said something I can't recall as I shook my head and buried my face closer to my arms. There was a sigh, and I knew I was being picked up. The person said something, earning a few laughs, before he started walking.

"Thank you," I managed to mumble, snuggling into the comforting heat of the chest and shoulder I was against before I completely fell asleep again.

I was in a bed again when I woke up, feeling sunlight pouring in from a window. My eyes opened, and I sat up with relative ease. The back of my head didn't hurt at all anymore…maybe I'd been Cured while I was asleep.

I wanted to lie down, snuggle under the safety of the blankets…

And I was no sundial, but I knew for a fact that it was afternoon.

So I got up, and this time I pulled my shoes on, and my hair was down…I'd showered the day before, and washed my hair, so it wasn't in bad shape at all. I sighed, putting on my glasses. I stood up all the way and headed into the bathroom for necessary morning business.

My ears aren't too great when I'm reading or busy doing something else, but my time in battle had made them keen to certain noises. I could hear children.

Downstairs.

Small children.

Sighing, I set the hairbrush near the sink and walked into the hall, practically tiptoeing down the stairs.

"Attempting to practice some ninja stealth skills?" Yuffie asked as I came into view, and I shook my head.

"Who's she?" a familiar voice questioned, and I looked over to a familiar, small face. Denzel. Thank Kira his voice was that of his original voice actor's.

"Denzel, Marlene, this is Victoria Carlton, and she'll be staying with us," Tifa said, approaching me and laying a hand on my shoulder. I looked over both of the kids, and realized that, once again, everyone was here. "She goes by Tory, though."

"Nice to meet you," Denzel said, walking forward to shake my hand. I took it, shook it, and let it go, letting a yawn escape in the form of a heavy sigh.

"Pleased to meet you," Marlene giggled with a big smile.

"Nice to meet the both of you," I responded. Looking to Barret, I grinned and said, "Now I see what ya meant, man, she's adorable." That earned a proud smile from him.

The small girl giggled and blushed. "Thank you!"

"So…how old are you two again?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Twelve."

"Seven."

I looked at Denzel, and I looked at Cloud. "Hey, Cloud? Are all children this small when they're twelve?!"

"…" He turned his head, not looking very happy with me. Ah, still fuming about last night, I see.

"Are you STILL mad about me running like that?!" I squeaked, flailing my arms.

"I'm not short," Denzel said, "how old are YOU, seventeen?"

"Thirteen," I corrected before turning to Nero. "And YOU!!!"

"Yes?" he replied airily, tilting his head. "Were you expecting a good morning hug, perhaps?"

"…No, but I want one anyways," I said as I closed the space between up and hugged him. "But were you up on a roof last night, watching me running by without saying anything?"

Nero's eyes glinted as I looked up at him and he said, "I may have."

"Why didn't you stop her?" Yuffie asked, hands on her hips.

"I saw no reason to stop her while she was in a panic. She would not have listened, and perhaps my trying to subdue her would only add to her fear."

"Stalking her on a roof most likely wasn't helping," Vincent stated, directing his gaze to the younger man who resembled him slightly. "She's already pretty paranoid." His gaze looked to me. "What were you dreaming about last night?"

"Beats the crap outta me." I threw my arms out after detaching myself from the dark ex-Tsviet. "I can't remember…why?"

"You didn't want me to put you down," he sighed, "you started crying and flailing when I did."

"Why the heck didn't you wake me up??" I demanded, feeling my cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Gosh Vincent, I'm sorry…"

"I tried," he stated, "you didn't want to wake up."

"…Are you really thirteen??" Marlene questioned, taking my hand and tugging slightly to get my attention.

"Yes I am, I'm tall because I ate my veggies when I was little."

"I told you so!!" she said, sticking out her tongue at Denzel.

"If you don't wanna be short like Cloud, you should eat your vegetables, Denzel," I stated, looking perfectly serious. I turned to the spiky-haired man who was glaring sidelong at me from the table he was sitting at. "Clooooouuud, you're not really mad at me, are you?"

"…No."

"You look mad," I said, walking forward. Marlene let her hand slip from mine as I approached him. "Did I make you mad?"

"No!" he shouted, immediately groaning and clutching his head. "I have a freaking hangover…"

"Poor baby," I mumbled, inwardly squeaking in shock. One would think it would take a lot to get someone with SOLDIER enhancements to get drunk…I guess either I was wrong or he DID drink a ton last night.

Cid snorted as I rubbed Cloud's back soothingly. "Y'know, you ge' much taller, an' yer gonna be taller than Cloud is."

"…Yeah, I know," I mumbled. The blonde dropped his head forward on the table, sighing as I applied pressure between his shoulder blades. "Cloud, really, you're not short, it's just that the extreme height runs in my family." It was odd seeing him vulnerable, and without the First Tsurugi's harness on his back.

"Mmhmm…"

Tifa giggled and I tried to suppress a laugh as Cloud brought his arms up to the table to rest his forehead on them.

"This happens whenever we have out get-togethers like this," the bartender sighed, rolling her crimson-brown eyes. "And he never learns."

"Mm-mm…" Cloud mumbled something as he shook his head slightly. He was really tense all over…I didn't want him feeling uncomfortable with me rubbing his back, but I knew that the tension was pretty bad. My mom's back was pretty tense, and I was no Kuma when in came to massages, but…well, I was good at it. Kuma and Beth were both really good at massages, but Kuma by far was the best. I put my hands on his shoulders and moved my thumbs in circles, sighing myself as I tried to relieve some of the pressure and tension.

"Maybe you should go upstairs and sleep…?" I suggested, not stopping.

"'M fine where I am…" he grumbled.

"So, what did I miss last night, Tifa?" I asked, looking over to the woman.

"Oh, nothing but most of the guys getting drunk. It's a good thing Barret didn't decide to pick the kids up yesterday to bring them here, because they wouldn't have gotten any sleep!"

"Sure they would've!!" Barret laughed loudly, hoisting his daughter onto one shoulder while ruffling Denzel's hair. I "aww"ed at the pleased way Marlene giggled. "We probably wouldn't have gotten that loud if we knew they were upstairs!!" I glanced at the clock. 2:39…or 2:40, it was hard to tell, considering I was on the opposite side of the room.

"Nothing would have shut any of you up!!" Yuffie grinned. "Tory, Reno was SINGING last night!! You should have heard him!"

"Oh, man…" I whined, pouting. "So…did they make it through the night okay?"

"Rude was pretty sober when they left," Tifa explained, "So he got Reno out."

I moved my hands down just a little, again cautious due to my not wanting to make Cloud feel uneasy, and continued to massage. "Doesn't this guy ever take a break and relax?" I asked, slightly irritated.

"No," Marlene said, putting her hands on her hips, "He's almost always out on deliveries!!"

"Figures," I muttered, "He's gonna hurt himself, and then when something worse than Omega comes around the world is SCREWED."

"That hasn't happened yet," Vincent stated calmly, "hopefully, there won't be a need to fight again…" by the tone in his voice, he doubted what he was saying. He knew it wasn't over yet.

"So, Tory, where are you from, anyways?" Denzel asked, moving to another, more carefree subject.

"Umm…" I looked to Tifa, and she shook her head, smiling a bit. "Junon," I said, nodding back to Denzel. "I'm from Junon."

"Did you like it there?"

"No, not really, I hate cities."

"So why are you in Edge?"

"Because, A), I'm waiting for someone, and B), like Tifa said, I'm staying here. My parents…have a lot to handle right now, but it's not like we're having family issues…and C), I have no intention of going out to the middle of nowhere, with no one else around me, JUST so I can get away from the city."

"…Oh," Denzel said, blinking. "Is he asleep?"

"Cloud?" I said, ducking down a little. I couldn't see his eyes because his face was buried well in his arms. "Chocobo?" No answer. "Yes, he's asleep."

"…You shouldn't call him that, he might get mad," Denzel sniggered.

"It's good for him to get used to people realizing that his hair looks like a chocobo's behind." I smiled at the brunette, who was blinking his big blue eyes at me. He was so cute. His lips were pulled into a thin line as he made choking noises, trying not to laugh.

"There ya go, Cloud," I said, crossing my arms while smiling in a satisfied way.

"Wan' me to take Spiky up to his room?" Barret asked, setting Marlene down.

"Yes, thank you Barret," Tifa laughed softly.

Barret nodded, and I moved aside so he could pick Cloud up and plop him across his shoulder with little effort. After he disappeared up the stairs, I started sniggering.

"What is it?" Marlene questioned.

"Nothing," I said, putting my hands up. "He just looked so much like a little kid with Barret carrying him like that…" Tifa smiled and agreed.

Settling in was easy enough…the main group left, and eventually Yuffie even went back to Wutai. Cloud was running deliveries again. Vincent lingered at the Seventh Heaven for a few days longer, which surprised me. I didn't want him to leave, because I was scared I'd never see him again. He would soon leave, to God knows where, until he was needed again, and then he'd show up. Maybe I wouldn't be there anymore when that time came.

Oh, and I had been drawing with the other kids, and I got praise for my artwork…

It was Crystal, snuggling a three-headed dog.

It was the picture I had wanted to show Derik.

And finally, Vincent left, and I had gotten a hug from him before he left as I held back my tears. I had drawn and redrawn the picture of Crystal and the puppy-Cerberus until it was to my liking, colored it, and gave it to him. He had been impressed by my artwork, and the complement I received meant a lot…and the amusement in his eyes as I told him the girl's name. He had accepted the picture when I told him I wanted him to have it…but I'd rather not go over the whole conversation.

After he left, I didn't cry, but I felt all empty, like part of me had torn away and gone with Vincent.

Eighteen days after meeting Vincent Valentine, I realized that I had been attached to him for three years; even though it was fourteen days before that he accepted my friendship.

"Tifa?"

"Hm?"

"…I'm tired."

"Maybe you should go upstairs and rest. I think all the fighting is finally catching up to you."

"…Okay…" I sighed, slowly walking towards the stairs. "I guess rest would be a good thing…"

"Tory, are you okay?" Denzel asked, causing me to pause in my step.

"…Not really…" I looked at Denzel…despite what he had been through, there was still a bit of naivety, something I thought I no longer had, even before I had gone to Gaia…but now I knew it was gone. "Denzel…if you can avoid it…never raise a weapon for anything but self defense…"

"Huh?"

"…" I sighed and raised a hand to ruffle his hair affectionately. "I won't be able to live a normal life if I go home; that's why I'm staying here…but you still have something near a normal life. Don't let it go to waste."

I let my hand fall away, sighed, and went up the stairs. I went into the room Shelke and I shared, tugged my ponytail loose, kicked my boots off and flopped down into the bed…and then took off my glasses to set them on the table. I rolled onto my back, sighing as I stared up.

"You know," I said in irritation, "I know I'm complaining now, but if I were to go home, I'd crave the adrenaline rush and constant danger of this world." No one answered. As _if_ I expected someone to! "I'm the only one of my kind on this planet, and I guess I always wanted that. But now I'm able to hear the voices of the lifestream at night, when people are quiet…and frankly, that's very, very creepy! Even more so than me talking to myself like this!" I sighed, clapping my hands over my eyes as I began to shake. "I really must be desperate to let this go if I'm talking to myself like this…"

_Adam…?_ I called out almost desperately, shutting my eyes.

For a moment, there wasn't an answer. But when it came, it was a question:

"_Hey, kid…you doin' okay?"_

I smiled, feeling my tension ease a bit. _I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure…Derik was home safe._

"_He is. I dropped him off myself, and emailed your family to explain the situation."_

…_Adam, was that freak-out I had from you?_

"_No…that was Dustin."_

My eyes snapped open wide. _But…Dustin's the good one—_

"_Only when you're on his good side. Alexandra was his girlfriend. When I got Derik to safety after disabling the chip, he got pissed, and…while I was gone he took it out on you…I'm sorry, kid, I really am…"_

_So…you're still on my side right?_

"…_Sure. So…you met Reno and Rude?"_

_Yeah…_

"_They're cool, aren't they?"_

_I suppose so…but it was weird. I mean, before I saw them, I knew they were human and could actually due good, but…_

"_Weren't expecting the 'good guy' thing from them, were you?"_

_Hmm…I didn't even think I'd ever meet them. At least I gained SOMETHING from the freak-out._

"_Tch. Well, I guess I'll tell that to Dustin."_

_W—wait, I don't want him to try something else—_

"_He can't. I pulled some strings with Hunter, played the 'we grew up together' thing and got him to make Dustin back off…"_

_I've told you how amazing you are, right? I have, haven't I? Because you rock. You're absolutely amazing. You know that, right?_

"_As I've stated before, I know full well how amazing I am. So you like the gun?"_

_Love it. It's not so plain anymore!_

"_Now, can I ask something?"_

_Go right ahead._

"_If the deal I made with Hunter to keep you in my care entailed you to, oh, have to go somewhere else for a while, would you be royally pissed off at me?"_

_Oh…oh Gaia, no, you __**didn't!! **_

"_You can come back afterward--"_

_Where do I have to go?!_

"…_I can't tell you that, but you'll know when you get there. Look, I'll talk to Reeve and try to get him to preserve your body at the headquarters, and I don't think he'll have much of a problem because you're his friend, but--"_

I started to cry. I had pretty much been mentally assaulted by the goofy guy who had gone as far as making a goofy Angeal impression to stop me from crying, and now I had to go to ANOTHER world.

"_I'll take care of everything. Nothing's going to happen to you. You'll be safe, no matter how many rules I have to bend to make sure of that. You know the world like the back of your hand."_

I fell asleep somehow, maybe because he caused the chip to make me tired, but I just…passed out.

I was still there the next time I woke up, in the bed at the Seventh Heaven…Shelke was fast asleep in the bed across from mine, and I made sure not to wake her up as I got to my feet and put my glasses on. I snuck out of the room, relaxing a bit as I got into the bathroom.

About five minutes later, after taking care of…morning stuff again and brushing my hair thoroughly (obsessively), I was downstairs, saying "good morning" to Tifa and Nero.

"You look like you still have something on your mind," Tifa said, "is something wrong?"

"…I have to go somewhere else for a while," I stated, looking down. "Adam talked to me last night…he's one of the ones I actually like."

"Oh…but you shouldn't have to, if you don't want to!" she said, frowning. "It's not like you're not old enough to make decisions for yourself…"

I shrugged, sighed, and said, "Dustin's girlfriend was Alexandra, and he caused me to go berserk by using the chip while Adam was getting Derik home safe. Adam didn't want it to happen again, so he talked to Hunter and got permission to continue watching over me in exchange for having me go somewhere else, I think…"

Nero made a soft noise that sounded like he was sighing through his nose.

"So, are you coming back?" Tifa asked almost hopefully. It made me happy that she wanted me here.

"Yes…Adam says I'll come back. But…I don't care what any of them say, I'm not going anywhere until Nero's safe with Weiss!!" Halfway through my sentence the door was opening.

The timing was so cliché, like it had all been set up even though I knew it wasn't.

"You won't have to wait very long in that case," a deep, masculine voice chuckled. I spun, seeing the fear and surprise in Tifa's eyes at the newcomer.

"Weiss!!" Nero and I shouted in unison.

Weiss the Immaculate. It was definitely him, and the sanity I found in his eyes told me he was completely free of Hojo's control. Genesis Rhapsodos stepped in behind him, and I could feel the tension in the air rise.

"Hello again," Genesis greeted smoothly as he looked at me. Nero looked almost lost as Weiss embraced him, and the red-clad First stepped forward with a sort of fluid grace that had me unable to move.

"Tifa, it's okay," I said to her, putting an arm out to signal for her to stay back. "Genesis…it's good to meet you in person."

"Indeed it is, Victoria…" his blue eyes locked with mine, and I could no longer look away if I wanted to. "How unfortunate it is that fate has different plans for you…I truly was wishing that you would accompany us…" I was surprised by that, but creeped out because it was Genesis. But I was flattered because it was Genesis.

He was creepy, but really effing awesome.

"Who are you?" Tifa demanded, pulling on a pair of leather gloves.

Shit.

"Genesis Rhapsodos," he introduced himself. "And who might you be?"

"Genesis, this is Tifa, Tifa, Genesis really isn't a bad guy…" I finally managed to get her attention, and she gave me a stern look. I glanced over to Weiss and Nero, and Weiss seemed to feel my gaze on him, because he turned to me immediately.

"You, Woman, come here," he commanded. Tifa jumped, and he shook his head at her. "The other one." My legs suddenly felt like concrete, and I kept my head lowered though my eyes stayed on his face as I moved forward.

I could see Nero looking at me too, with what seemed to be concern.

"Weiss," he said quietly, "Brother, she is barely a teenager…" Yes. Yes, there was concern in his tone as I stopped in front of his brother.

A hand seized my chin and I gasped as I was dragged forward by that grip alone, and I had to brace myself against him by putting my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Tifa," I said through my teeth, feeling my face heat up. "Hello again, Weiss."

"Hmph…well, it seems I was wrong after all. You _are _a child…" he seemed bothered by that fact. "Nonetheless, you treated my brother kindly in a way that no one besides me ever dared…and he has not been harmed."

My jaw was bruising, I could feel it. I stood up straight as he stared down at me, letting my hand fall from his shoulder in a way that I wouldn't make contact with anything else, once I was sure I could stand up straight. _If you're going to break my neck, please do it without breaking my jaw first…_

"Weiss," Nero said in a quick way, and I wished I could see his face. "Weiss don't hurt her!" The Oblivion practically _shrieked _as Nero's voice rose_, _and Weiss's eyes widened as he turned his head to look over his shoulder.

"It's not my fault she's so fragile," he stated. I was startled by how…how much Nero seemed to care. "I won't hurt her." I reached up to his wrist and gripped it, attempting to dislodge his iron grip. "Hmph…" he looked back to me and let go, and I dropped my own hand in response.

"How are you feeling, Weiss?" I asked, taking a step back.

"What?" he seemed confused, maybe even _startled_ at the question?

"Have…you recovered, from the battle?" I mentally shot myself, because the stammer was obvious, and he was probably smirking.

"…Of course," he said after a moment, raising his arms slightly while turning his palms toward me.

I smiled at him, a little shakily, but I _did_ manage a smile before I turned to Genesis. "So…I, uh…Guess…you'll be going now that you've got Nero coming with you…?" The auburn-haired man reached up to brush some of his hair from his face, though it fell immediately back into place a moment later.

"Yes," he responded. "Are you…concerned for his safety."

Even though I was, I shook my head immediately. "I care a lot about Nero," I sated, "and I'll miss him a bunch, but I don't have to ask to know that Weiss is gonna protect him."

"Wait…where are you going?" Tifa asked, shaking her head in confusion.

"It matters little," Genesis said. "What truly matters is that we will be prepared for a battle far worse than Deepground." I looked at him, trying not to bite my lip as he returned my gaze. "Don't worry. Your return to this world will coincide with our enemy's own."

"So…you're our allies in this?" Tifa seemed hopeful, obviously not wanting to see these three as enemies. I'd kill myself to save them the trouble if that was the case.

"We are," Weiss said. "Good luck convincing your friends, though."

"Genesis," I said quietly, "You know…Cloud, don't you?" He seemed to know that I knew a lot, but maybe I was taking a gamble.

He looked at me, surprised, but nodded. "Yes…yes, I do." He turned to Tifa, then. "Cloud may remember me…we have met before, and it was not under…friendly circumstances."

"So please do what you can to convince Cloud that he's on our side," I laughed kind of nervously to my female friend. "I um…may not be _here_ by the time the Chocobo gets home." I tapped my finger against my head as I said "here," and she seemed even more worried. "Adam's talking to Reeve about taking care of my body for as long as…need be."

"_Holy fuck!!"_

I jumped, and Nero asked me if I was okay.

"I'm fine," I said, before nervously adding, "Adam…just popped in."

"_I come back from getting coffee and…and fuckin' GENESIS is there!"_

_Your point being…?_

"_You sound like it's so normal!!"_

_I thought you'd know he was coming._

"_No, I didn't…why?" _Adam asked, sounding…less freaked out.

_Because you have access to my other thoughts, and I had a dream where I spoke to him, and apparently it was a bit more than a normal dream._

"_He probably fell into your more personal thoughts, where we can't see as well."_

I sniggered. "Adam's surprised to see you guys."

"He…is the one who monitors you?" Nero asked, making sure he had the right guy. I nodded. "Can he be trusted…?"

"Of course he can," I responded, shrugging. Weiss seemed…the most confused. "The man who speaks to me through the chip implanted in my head…"

He seemed irritated when I said it. "I see."

_There. Now, when am I being…woken up?_

"_I finished talking to Reeve."_

_How did you talk to him?_

"_Hacked the WRO database, thank you very much."_

_O…kay, fine, so you hacked the database._

"What's going on?" Tifa asked, trying to read my expression.

"Just a sec," I sighed, holding up a hand. _What's—_

"_I told him we're taking you out today, so he's going to be coming by. Sit down or lie down upstairs, but say your goodbyes. You have ten minutes…and I can't stall any longer than that…okay?"_

"I've got ten minutes before I have to go," I stated, showing off a small, sad smile. _Thanks for everything, Adam._

"…_Yeah."_

"Ten?!" Tifa gasped.

"Yeah. Look, um…I…" I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry. "I'd better get to the point. Reeve's gonna take care of my body, because Adam talked to him about it, so he'll be by later. I want hugs before I go, so you won't mind if I wake the kids up, will you?" My voice cracked on the final note, and she answered with a quick shake of her head as she pulled me forward into a hug of her own. "I-I'm gonna lie down in my bed once I say g'bye, 'kay?"

"All right," she sighed, tightening her hug before letting me go. I spun around to look at Nero, grinning sheepishly.

"You're probably getting sick of me hugging you, but I'm probably gonna be gone for a while…and I'm reeeallly gonna miss you…" I left it at that, looking down for a minute before Genesis stepped aside slightly more and Weiss gave Nero a gentle push, blue gaze fixed on me.

"I don't mind that terribly much," the dark-haired man sighed, putting his arms around me as I did the same.

"Thanks," I whispered, sighing. I looked at Weiss and said, "I don't know you well enough to hug you, and even if I knew you better, you'd be mad if I did, but…take care, okay?"

"Mm." Weiss gave me a strange look, furrowing his brow a bit. When Nero let go, he pushed me forward to Weiss, and my eyes widened in surprise as I was pulled against him. "You do deserve a proper thank-you," he explained, arms loosely around my shoulders. Probably to avoid Nero's worry that he would hurt me…"But this is to be spoken of to no one."

"I understand," I nearly giggled with embarrassment as I hugged him back. Not two seconds later I was shoved back carefully, and I just looked to Genesis and nodded. "I don't expect you to hug me, but I'm going to tell you to take care too."

"And you as well, Victoria." He gestured up the stairs with a red-gloved hand. "You're running short on time."

I looked to the four of them and ran, not bothering to be quiet as I burst into the kids' room. Denzel bolted into a sitting position, eyes widening as he woke up abruptly.

"What the--"

"No time, gotta go soon, won't be back for a while," I explained quickly, ducking down to hug him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, sounding concerned as he hugged back slightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I pulled back, hurrying over to Marlene. "Hey, Marlene, time to wake up for a sec, I gotta go soon."

"H-huh…?" she mumbled sleepily, not opening her eyes. I sighed softly.

"Denzel, can you explain later?"

"Y…yeah…? When are you coming back?"

"Not sure." I shut the door as I exited, and saw that Shelke was already sitting up, her red hair disheveled from sleep.

"Victoria?" she questioned, sounding concerned. "You look…are you alright?"

"Shelke, I'm gonna be going to another world, but Reeve is gonna come by later to take my body here back to the WRO, so it'll be safe." I sat down on her bed, opening my arms. "I wanna say goodbye before…"

"…Oh," Shelke murmured softly, blue eyes wide for a second. "I see." She hugged me, and said something else that took me by surprise when I held her against my shoulder. "I'll miss you, Tory."

I nodded, sniffling as I put my chin on her head. "Boy oh _boy_, am I gonna miss you, Shelke…" I shut my eyes tightly, feeling the familiar sting of tears.

"This is not really…goodbye, is it?" she asked. "You'll come back. Otherwise you would not keep your body safe like you are going to…"

"I'm coming back, but I don't know when." I heaved a sigh as I pulled back, and went around hers to get on my own. "Until then…Weiss, Nero and Genesis are getting ready to leave." I pulled back the covers and settled in beneath them, removing my glasses and letting my ponytail loose as I covered myself up to my chin. "You should say hello and goodbye to them…"

"_About a minute and a half." _Adam said.

"I'll…wait," Shelke said with some effort, and I thought I saw her blue eyes glistening—but without my glasses, I couldn't be sure. She came over and sat down on the bed next to me, and I pulled my right arm out so I could take her hand. Everything was already beginning to dull, and blur.

"Will you tell everyone that I'll be back?" I asked, squeezing her hand with what fading strength I could. _Wow, I'm losing it fast._

"I will," she promised.

"Thank you…"

My eyes shut, and I let go.

**This is a happier ending that I thought it would have.**

**To all of you who have read this and stuck with me until the end; thank you.**

**For those of you who think: "Oh man, she's just gonna leave it at that?"**

**You're wrong, because I'm not. If you have faith in my abilities to continue this, in another world, in another GAME, please add me to author alert or whatever that one thing is that'll tell you when I have a new story up. **

**I'll tell you right now that it's Tales of Symphonia that I'm going to be writing in next, and even if you haven't played it, I'm asking you to please read it. This may take me a couple years to complete all the way, and I want to keep this going. I won't give up or stop typing, even if I take a break for a while.**

**I love you guys, and I couldn't have made it this far without any of you.**

**Derik****: Thanks for putting up with me having you in as a character for so long. If this were ever to really happen, I would have been begging Vincent to shoot me by the time we got to Shinra Manor. And also, thanks for suggesting that we RP.**

**NorthMedian****: Thanks for saying you'll help me out with some of the next story, and I look forward to your comments and advice.**

**Rixah****: I think, honestly, that you left the most reviews. Thank you for your endless support, and the time you took to speak with me.**

**--Tory.**


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